


First Love

by dearluhan (harry_stiles)



Category: EXO (Band), Real Person Fiction
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Break Up, Breaking Up & Making Up, Cheating, Crying, EXO Imagines, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fingerfucking, First Love, Fluff and Smut, Heartbreak, Kissing, Love, Love at First Sight, Making Love, Making Out, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Reunions, Romance, Rough Kissing, Sad, Sad Ending, Smut, Teasing, Unrequited Love, byun baekhyun imagines, oh sehun imagines, smut is later in the story!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-07-18 22:46:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 28,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7333621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harry_stiles/pseuds/dearluhan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes fond memories are best left in the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

                “So… I think it’s about time you meet the guys.”

                Mina looked away from her laptop so fast her neck could’ve snapped. She tried to keep her face as neutral as possible despite her churning stomach and the growing lump in her throat. That was the _last_ thing she wanted to hear from him.

                “Well, you don’t look excited.” He huffed when she didn’t answer him right away.

                _Leave it to Sehun to act this way._  She let out an irritated sigh. “It’s just… isn’t it a bit early, Sehun?”

                “Early?!” His eyebrows nearly rose off of his face “Babe, we’ve been together for almost half a year now. I think it’s only fair you get to meet them and all. They’ve been asking about you anyway.”

                “You _told_ them about me?” She narrowed her eyes in disgust. _He promised he wouldn’t tell them about me yet!_

                “Woah, calm down.” Sehun rolled his eyes. “I just told Junmyeon, and then Jongdae figured out about it somehow. No one else knows. I promise.”

                “We agreed that our relationship was going to stay a secret-”

                “Yeah, I know, but that was when we _first_ started dating.” A devilish smirk suddenly lined his lips. “Come on! Admit it! We both had no idea if we were going to even last one week together.”

                “Sehun!”

                “OK, sorry.” He held his hands up in surrender. “But you know, eventually they’re all going to find out. We can’t keep this a secret forever.” His expression darkened. “Maybe from the fans and the public, but not from my friends.”

                She looked away from him as she bit her lip, wishing that she could just escape this conversation. She didn’t want to meet Sehun’s group members, not because she thought they were just a group of rowdy men, but there was one specific person she wanted to avoid.

                His name was Byun Baekhyun, and they both attended the same middle school and high school together. He was that annoying, bratty kid that always interrupted the teacher to make lame jokes and put bugs in the girls’ hair, but Mina found him attractive. She didn’t believe in love at first sight until she met him.

                _“Hey… Do you want to share my lunch box with me?”_

_Mina glanced up from her phone to find a boy staring down at her, his black hair nearly covering his eyes. She wondered why he was talking to her, but that thought was quickly overrun by how handsome he was._

_“Are you deaf?” Mina knew the question was meant to be mean, but his tone was softer, more as if he was embarrassed by her lack of response. He cleared his throat as he glanced towards the windows that showed off the main hall of the school. A few boys were peeking in the window, giggling at the scene before them._

_“I… yes we can share.” She began blushing as he pulled up a chair to sit beside her at her desk._

_“How come you never bring a homemade lunch?” he asked after a moment of silence. He carefully opened his lunch box, yet his eyes never left hers._

_She shrugged her shoulders, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. “Don’t have the time to make one in the morning.”_

_“Everyone has time.”_

_“I don’t have a mom to help me out.”_

_Baekhyun’s eyebrows creased as he took in the information. “Oh… I’m so sorry…I … I didn’t know…”_

_“Don’t be. It’s OK.” She took the chopsticks he handed her, their fingers touching briefly. The static electricity shocked them, causing them to both pull away quickly._

_“Is that why you’re always so quiet?” He ventured after several more painstakingly quiet minutes._

_She shrugged. “Maybe because you talk so much that I can’t get a word in.”_

_A smug smile crossed his features. “I’ll be quieter then.”_

Ever since then Baekhyun always started sharing his lunch with Mina, ignoring everyone else’s stares and questions. He seemed to be genuinely interested in her, putting in all his efforts to get to know her more as the school year wore on. He even started to walk her home, and would invite her and her dad over to his place for a family dinner. Mina saw it as an act of pity, until he broke it down to her nearly a year later.

                _“Jesus Christ, I did all of those things because I_ love _you Mina.” He wiped his wet hair out of his face, the downpour relentless. “It had absolutely nothing to do with me feeling sorry for you!”_

_Mina felt like the world had stopped spinning as she tried to take it all in as he continued to stare at her. Her feelings for Baekhyun were clear since day one, she admired him, she wanted to be like him, she loved him too, but she was baffled he actually felt the same way._

_“I made all those stupid jokes in front of the class because I wanted you to notice me. You’re so pretty and you’re so smart, and I knew I could never compare to you so I had to get you to notice me somehow. All those times I would take you out to the karaoke place, every secret I told you… it’s because I loved you and trusted you. Don’t you get it now, Mina? I want to be with you.”_

_“I want to be with you too, Baekhyun.” She thought the words would be harder to say, but the words she had practiced in front of a mirror for days, too shy to ever tell him how she felt, came out unremarkably natural._

_“Then why didn’t you say anything?” His voice was pleading, cracking at the end._

_“Because you’re so cool, and you have this entire following in the school!”_

_“Mina… I’m not cool.” His laughter was terse. “You’re the cool one. You get the top scores on our tests; I shouldn’t even be talking to you right now we’re on such different levels.”_

_“But…I’m not…” She blushed._

_“It’s true.” He gave her his dazzling smile. “So… do you want to be my girlfriend?”_

_She nodded her head yes. “Yes.”_

_“Great…” he whispered, his eyes twinkling with happiness behind his wet hair._

_“But can we get you home before you catch a cold?” She pulled him closer to her so he was halfway underneath the umbrella. “If you get sick and miss days, the teacher is going to be so pissed.”_

_“Why worry about it when I know you can teach me?” He chuckled. “My place, or yours?”_

_“Mine. It’s closer.” She led him out towards the school gates as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders._

Despite his normal outgoing behavior, it took Baekhyun forever to kiss her. He actually asked her if he could kiss her when they were studying together. Mina could remember how warm his lips were against hers, and she could definitely remember how he tried to kiss her with tongue and failed miserably. She could also remember very clearly the first time they had sex, how Baekhyun nearly squished her, how clumsy they both were, how many times he apologized for hurting her, and how he insisted he had to make up for it later, but what she remembered the most was how hard he tried to make it the best night of her life.

                Baekhyun was Mina’s first love, and she never fell in love with anyone else when he left her.

                _“No… it’s just I don’t think it’ll work, Mina.” The words seemed to be difficult to produce. “We both know that our careers are too much for us right now.”_

_“Yeah,” she agreed with him, tears in her eyes she wanted to hide from him._

_“No, baby don’t cry.” Baekhyun reached out to touch her cheek, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. “It’s for the best… for the both of us.”_

She wanted to believe that it was for the best, but she never forgot about him after he left to pursue a singing career. She never heard from him since then, but she was at fault since she cut off all contact. It was a stupid move, and she regretted it every day. She had no idea where he had gone, or what had happened him until a month after she started dating Sehun. She wasn’t really in love with Sehun, he was just someone to maybe heal her broken heart with his sweet words and in bed, but she felt her heart shatter even more when he showed her all of his group members and invited her to his concert.

                _“Yeah that’s our leader Junmyeon, and here’s Chanyeol. We’re best friends. And this is Baekhyun, he sings really well. He makes me jealous all the time…”_

She kept declining his offers time and time again to meet his bandmates, but she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever. She liked Sehun enough to not break up with him, but in that moment she wished they had never ran into each other at that stupid cocktail party.

                “Hey… are you feeling OK?” Sehun asked her, waving his hand in front of Mina’s face.

                “Yeah… sorry I was just wondering if they’d accept me or not,” she lied, holding back her tears at the fond memories. _What does he look like now? Does he have a girlfriend now? Of course he does with his looks and talent… Would he remember me? No… he’s definitely moved on, and I should too._

“Mina, they’d love you.” Sehun snuggled closer to her, his warm breath tickling her cheek. “But if you don’t want to meet them yet, we don’t have to.”

                “No, it’s fine Sehun. I think it’s time.” She bit her lip and held in her sigh. _Maybe seeing him now will put my heart at ease?_

* * *

 

                “Just be yourself, OK? And don’t look at Kyungsoo the wrong way. He’s like super grumpy all the time, but he’s the only one you have to worry about,” Sehun coached her as they made their way to someone named Minseok’s place.

                “What does Kyungsoo look like, Hun?”

                “Oh, he has these really big eyes, and really nice lips.”

                “It sounds like you’ve been spending too much time with his lips.” Mina laughed as Sehun turned a shade of bright pink.

                “I maybe kissed him once, OK?” He snorted. “But anyway, just breathe. You’ll be fine.”

                Mina wanted to believe him, but she felt sick to her stomach. She was nervous to meet everyone else, but just knowing her old high school sweetheart was within the building was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat.

                Sehun patted the small of her back affectionately as he led her to the main door of the room. He opened it slowly, announcing his presence.

                “Sehun-ah! You’re always so late!” A deep voice seemed to rattle the thin walls.

                “We ran into traffic, OK?” Sehun ran his fingers through his hair before turning to face Mina. “Come on, they won’t bite,” he reassured her as he led her deeper into the bowels of the place.

                _Holy shit, I can’t do this._ She nearly stopped breathing when a very handsome man met eyes with her. He looked a little shocked to see her, before a smile crept up his full lips.

                “Sehun, do you have someone to introduce to us?” The man laughed quietly as Mina averted her gaze.

                “Uh, yeah. Guys, this is my girlfriend.” Sehun slightly frowned at his girlfriend as she tried to hide behind him.

                “Does your girlfriend have a name?” A softer voice asked.

                “Don’t be shy!” Someone else cooed.

                “Ah, this is cute,” the same deeper voice from earlier shouted.

                Sehun grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently as he pulled her in front of him. “This is Mina; Mina this is Jongin…” He pointed to the man that had greeted her first. “This is Kyungsoo…” The man with the full lips and large eyes waved softly at her. He didn’t look as scary as Sehun said he’d be. “This is Yixing…”

                Mina smiled at each man in turn, trying to calm herself down as Sehun seemed to go through thousands of people. He finally stopped on a man named Chanyeol who greeted her a little too excitedly.

                “Huh… where’s Baekhyun?” Sehun asked the man named Junmyeon.

                “He stepped out just before you came in.” Junmyeon shrugged. “He said he’d be back though.”

                “Well, we’re missing one.” Sehun turned to Mina to give her a soft smile. “But that’s everyone-”

                “Did someone call my name?!”

                Mina’s heart dropped to her stomach at the strange yet familiar voice. It was deeper than she remembered, but it was definitely his. She looked to her left to find a man walking down the hall leading into the living room.

                “Oh shit, is Sehun here already?” he asked, first looking at first Junmyeon and then Sehun. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he looked over at Mina she felt like a bomb had gone off in the room.

                She didn’t hear anything the other men were saying when their eyes met. All she could see was Baekhyun.

                _He looks different, but a good different._ He was handsome, just like he was six years ago, but he definitely looked older. His baby cheeks were gone, now replaced by a more masculine, mature appearance with his slightly pronounced cheek bones. His hair was slightly longer, healthier, and his nose was just a little different. He was taller, but not as tall as Mina expected him to be. Overall, he still looked amazing, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

                “Mina this is Baekhyun… Baekhyun this is Mina.” Sehun’s voice finally reached her ears.

                “Hey,” Baekhyun said quietly, not skipping a beat despite his initial shocked expression. “It’s nice to meet you, Mina.”

                Her heart sunk at his words, but what else was he supposed to say? He couldn’t tell Sehun that they dated back in high school. Besides, he probably never brought her up to any of them. _Why would he anyway? He’s moved on to a better life._

“Nice to meet you too,” she said with less enthusiasm. She smiled at Sehun, hoping he didn’t notice the awkward looks she and Baekhyun were previously exchanging.

                “So… why is someone pretty like you dating Sehun?” Chanyeol asked as he still stared at her from the sofa.

                “That’s rude.” Jongin scoffed.

                “But it’s honest?” Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

                “When did you two meet?” Junmyeon asked as Kyungsoo excused himself from the room.

                “Sometime last year?” Sehun led Mina over to an unoccupied sofa.

                “You’ve known her all this time and never introduced us?” Jongin scowled.

                “We only started dating five months ago.” Sehun snorted. “Mina and I wanted to take our time, right baby?”

                “Gross,” the man named Jongdae exclaimed. “He calls her _baby_.”

                “Can you act right in front of company?” Junmyeon scolded him before turning to smile at Mina. “Well, I’m sure you take care of our Sehun well, right?”

                There was a slight edge to his tone, and she shifted uncomfortable in her seat. Sehun said he was close to his group members, but instead she felt like she was meeting his brothers. Some of them were protective of him, while others teased him, but they all clearly loved him.

                “Of course.” She felt the burning gaze of someone on her. She ignored it at first, but when it continued she turned her head slightly to find Baekhyun staring at her. He looked so concentrated it was scary.

                “I do everything I can for Sehun.” She turned to smile at her boyfriend again, suddenly wishing she could call this whole thing off and just disappear. She knew Sehun loved her immensely, but everything was so awkward with Baekhyun here.

                _And he clearly remembers me by that look he gave me earlier._ She snuck another glance at him, finding this time he was lost deep in thought.

                “Did I tell you she can cook?” Sehun gloated. “Better than Kyungsoo.”

                “Oh, why didn’t you bring something over then?” Jongdae playfully frowned. “We want to try Mina’s cooking!”

                “Do you two live together, or…?” Jongin quipped as he leaned on his elbows.

                “Hey, what are you trying to do?” Chanyeol hissed as Sehun turned a deep shade of pink.

                “I think they do,” Jongdae sung before bursting into laughter.

                Mina remained quiet as the boys shouted at one another, except for the few quiet ones. “Sehun, I’m going to step out for a bit,” she whispered to her boyfriend.

                “Do we need to go?” His eyebrows dipped in concern.

                “No, I just need some fresh air. This is all really overwhelming.” She patted his thigh reassuringly before excusing herself. She heard one of the loud mouth men yelling about how they scared her off, while Sehun denied it.

                As soon as she left the room and closed the door behind her, she let out a deep breath and sucked in all the oxygen she could before letting it back out. _I finally saw him again. He’s so good looking and he looks so healthy!_ She closed her eyes as she leaned her back on the wall. _There’s no way I can go back in there either with how much we’re eyeing each other. Sehun’s going to get suspicious and ask me about it. Maybe we should just leave now? I’ll just tell him my stomach is acting up again, and we can head back._

Mina took in another deep breath before heading back into the apartment room. It was nosier than when she first left, and she swore she just saw someone’s shoes go flying across the room.

                “What’s she like in bed?” Someone hooted.

                “Who said Sehun was getting _any_ action!?” Someone else yelled.

                _Leave boys to be boys._ She cleared her throat as she stood in the entranceway to the living room, crossing her arms across her chest as she scowled at the men before her.

                “Hey, there you are.” Sehun’s cheeks were flushed as he rose from the sofa. “Are you OK?” he asked in a quieter voice as he stood next to her, brushing her hair away from her face with his long, slender fingers.

                “What is this, a romance movie?” Jongdae whispered just loud enough for Mina to hear.

                “I’m not feeling too well,” she lied, watching as his eyebrows creased in concern.

                “Let’s go then.” He patted her cheek before turning to his group mates. “Hey, we’re going to head out.”

                “You just _got_ here, and we didn’t even get a chance to talk to her!” Jongin pouted.

                “Yeah, I know. Sorry.” Sehun shrugged. “Maybe another time?”

                “Why don’t you bring her to one of our concerts? She’s never been, right?” Chanyeol asked. “Don’t you want to come see your boyfriend perform, Mina?”

                “Uhm, yeah I would love to.” She smiled at Chanyeol, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from roving over to Baekhyun. He was sitting in the same spot, his eyes still glued on her. His pink lips didn’t tug into a smile when Junmyeon cracked a dry joke, but his eyes still contained the bright shine they always did six years ago.

                Mina wanted to get into his head; she wanted to know why he was so transfixed on her yet would not utter a single word or even smile. His last form communication with her that day was a slow yet short wave goodbye when Sehun ushered her out of the door.

                When outside, she barely heard Sehun asking her if she needed any medicine before they went back home, and how she felt about the guys. All she could think about was Baekhyun, all she wanted to feel was Baekhyun… She wanted Baekhyun back in her life, his lips pressed against her lips before he whispered how much he loved her, and every little quirk of hers he found adorable as he laced his soft fingers with hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I'm really excited about this story, and I hope you all are too. It is a thrill to write, and it'll be a thrill to read. I'll see you all next update!


	2. Chapter 2

                Mina couldn’t get Baekhyun off of her mind as the hours after meeting Sehun’s group members turned into days. Her thoughts were relentless, just like the downpour outside.

                _How much has he changed since then? Has he changed at all? Does he like anyone else? Did Sehun suspect anything?_ She sighed as she lay in bed alone while Sehun was out at dance practice. _I should be focusing on Sehun right now, not Baekhyun. Sehun is a sweet guy too._

Suddenly, her phone vibrated next to her before the notification tone went off. She frowned, wondering if Sehun had gotten out earlier than usual. She checked her phone to be met with an unfamiliar number.

                **_Hey._**

**_Hey… Who’s this?_** She stared at the phone number longer, still not registering it as anyone familiar.

                The reply was slightly delayed, but confirmed who the sender was. **_It’s me, Mimi._**

She bit her lip, feeling excitement and dread travel through her body at the same time. No one else ever called her by that nickname except for one person. **_How’d you get my number?_**

**_I never deleted it. Uh… I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable like this. I just wanted to say hi… it’s been a while…_ **

**_It’s fine Baek. Just… what do you want?_ **

**_I wanted to talk to you again. It’s been years, and we were so close back then… Do you think we could meet up and talk?_ **

_No. Tell him no. You’re with Sehun now._ She was internally yelling at herself, yet she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to see him again. _After all this time, is he still in love with me too? No, that’s impossible. He’s surrounded by so many beautiful and rich women now, why would he still like me?_

Mina quickly closed out of the message and put her phone aside when she heard the front door open and then close quietly. She knew she should just pretend to be asleep since her thoughts were troubling her, but she slipped out of bed, pulled her robe over her body, and headed to the front door to greet her boyfriend.

                “Hey,” she said softly after he shouldered his hoodie off, placed his umbrella by the door, and turned to face her.

                “Mina… You’re supposed to be asleep.” A look of disappointment crossed Sehun’s features as he walked over to her and enveloped her in a hug.

                “I couldn’t sleep.” He was so warm and soft, but yet she flinched when his hands landed on her waist and he kissed her temple.

                “Are you feeling better?” Sehun pulled out of the embrace, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. It wasn’t like her to flinch away from him. “Do I need to run to the store to get you anything?”

                “No, I’m fine Sehun. Just a lot on my mind.” She didn’t and couldn’t meet his eyes even though she wasn’t lying. For some reason she was scared he’d see right through her. Sehun was never the best at expressing his emotions, but surprisingly he could read hers quite well.

                Sehun remained silent as he put his hands on her shoulders. “Mina, are you _sure_ you’re OK? You haven’t really been yourself recently. Do we need to talk? You know I’ll always listen-”

                “Sehun, babe, I’m fine.” She patted his cheek before walking away from him. _He’s making me feel guilty now for even considering seeing Baekhyun._

“Why don’t you take the day off tomorrow?” he asked as he followed her to the bedroom. “I think you should rest. You’ve been working really hard anyway.”

                She sighed as she sat down on her side of the bed. “I’ve already used all my sick days-”

                “ _I’ll_ call in if you don’t. I just want you to feel better, OK Mi?”  He smiled as he sat down beside her and placed his larger hand over hers.

                “OK,” she agreed quietly, letting him lace his fingers with hers.

                “Now get some sleep, baby.” He kissed the side of her mouth before taking his leave. She instantly missed the warmth he radiated.

                 She vaguely remembered him saying he was going to take a shower and he’d be right back before she cuddled up with her pillow. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table to turn off the alarm for the morning to only find a preview of a new message from Baekhyun.

                **_Sorry was that too intrusive? Ha…_**

Mina blinked her sleepy eyes, telling herself she’d read his messages and respond to him in the morning.

                _I shouldn’t be reading them at all, but I miss him. I miss him_ so _much._ She remained still and silent as Sehun joined her in bed minutes later and wrapped one of his long arms around her waist as he snuggled closer to her.

                “Good night, Mina bear,” he whispered against her neck before leaving a kiss on the sensitive skin.

                “Night, Hun.” Her stomach lurched in remorse as she found herself wishing the man lying next to her was someone else.

                She swallowed when he snuggled up closer to her, the familiar scent of his body wash satisfying yet overwhelming. Sehun wasn’t a bad boyfriend. He was nearly always sweet and caring when he wasn’t in a bad mood. Even though he wasn’t as good in bed as Baekhyun was or the best kisser like Baekhyun was, Mina knew she should be sticking to Sehun’s side despite the reemergence of an old high school romance.

                _Just forget all about him, and focus on Sehun._ Mina listened to Sehun’s light breathing, trying to remember every little thing she liked about Sehun instead. How sweet his morning kisses were, how clueless yet cute he always seemed to be when they cooked together, when he occasionally surprised her and found it _so_ funny when she couldn’t figure out what he was planning, when he promised her he’d never let her down…

                Mina squeezed her eyes shut when he shifted against her in his sleep. _There are numerous things to love about him, so why am I still stuck on Baekhyun?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! If you like it or love it, make sure to hit that kudos button or leave a comment! Your support means a lot, and it's really appreciated! <3


	3. Chapter 3

                Her plans had completely backfired. Mina just couldn’t stop thinking about _him_ no matter how hard she tried. He even filled her dreams now, sweeping her off of her feet like he used to in the old days. When Sehun left early the next morning for work, she couldn’t stop herself from answering Baekhyun’s message. In the days that followed, she barely hesitated to answer any other messages he sent even though she knew Sehun would be very upset if he ever caught her. Sehun was a jealous man, and he didn't allow her to talk to any other man in private beside himself.

                She absentmindedly drummed her fingers on the dining room table after cooking dinner. She knew Sehun would be home any minute now and time was of essence as she read the last message Baekhyun had sent her.

                **_You’re wondering about me too, aren’t you? We can meet up… if you want._**

Just as she began typing an answer, she heard the key in the door. She quickly closed out of the messages when the front door swung open, revealing a very exhausted Sehun.

                “Hey baby,” he sung, a wry smile lining his lips.

                “Long day?” She returned his smile.

                “ _Yeah_. Very long.” His eyes narrowed suddenly as he looked her over. “What’ve you been up to?”

                “I just finished making dinner-”

                “No, I mean… You looked startled when I came in.”

                “Oh, I was just reading one of those scary comics you had sent me a while ago. Those ones that move as you scroll down the page.” She swallowed, hoping he wouldn’t see through the lie. Sehun was a very observant person, and even harder to manipulate.

                “You’re _just_ now reading that?” He snorted.

                “We’re both busy people, Hun.”

                “That we are…” He let out a sigh as he approached her. “So… I was thinking about something today.”

                She turned to face him. “And what would that be?”

                “Would you actually like to come see me perform tomorrow night? You’re off tomorrow, and I don’t know… I just thought we could do something _together_ …” His voice became quieter and quieter as he spoke, his eyes not even meeting hers by the end of his sentence.

                _He’s going to think I’m going to say no like I always do._ She tilted her head to the side, trying to get her boyfriend to meet her eyes. “So is this one of those _concert dates_ you kept bringing up to me?”

                “I… yeah, maybe,” he stuttered as he began to blush. “I mean, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I get how everything can be overwhelming-”

                “No. I’ll come.”

                Sehun’s eyes finally met hers. He tried to hide his smile, but it was too big to contain. “Mina, you’re joking, right?”

                “No, seriously I’ll come, Hun.” She stood to her feet, leaving a quick kiss on his lips. “Now come eat dinner before it gets cold.” She smoothed the front of his shirt before twirling away to head towards the kitchen to hide her smile as well.

                She wanted to see Sehun perform since she never had to chance to while they were dating, but she also wanted to see someone else. She knew Baekhyun would be there, and just maybe they could talk again.

                _How am I going to get away from Sehun though?_ Mina glanced back at him as he playfully grabbed her waist. _I’ll figure it out._

* * *

 

                It was a little bit after EXO’s performance when Mina found him. She was searching backstage for Sehun when Baekhyun suddenly came around the corner of the hall. He was still dressed in his stage outfit, his hair plastered to his face with sweat, and God did he look amazing.

                He wiped his forehead with a white towel before he looked up and down the hall to only do a double take, his gaze locking on Mina’s. His eyebrows shot up in surprise while a look of uncertainty passed through his brown eyes. He glanced over his shoulder before continuing his walk towards her.

                “Hey.” She greeted him the exact same way he had greeted her last week.

                “Hey.” His voice was soft, melodic. “What’re you doing here?” He laughed under his breath.

                “Sehun invited me.”

                “Oh…” Baekhyun’s eyes dropped briefly from hers.

                “But I wanted to see someone else too.”

                The clouded look in his eyes cleared as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “And who would that be?”

                She hesitated for a minute before answering, watching as his eyes lit up in anticipation of her answer. “You,” she said a bit more sensual than she meant to.

                He chuckled again, lowering his gaze from hers only briefly. “I thought you didn’t want to talk to me after last time? I mean… you never answered my last text.”

                “You should already know how jealous Sehun gets if I talk to any other guys. I still want to catch up with you.”

                “So… Could we maybe… meet up some time?” he asked again.

                _He’s just like that school boy I grew up with. How cute… How could I possibly say no?_ She watched as his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, a smile just barely gracing his features. “Yeah, we can. When do you have time?”

                He glanced over his shoulder before dropping his voice to a mere whisper. “I’m free tomorrow night… after nine. Is that OK?”

                Mina felt her stomach twist in guilt. _There’s nothing to feel guilty about. You’re just catching up as friends. Sehun never has to know anyway._ “Yeah, that’s fine.”

                “Great.” A small, excited laugh escaped his lips. “I’ll see you then, I guess?”

                Mina nodded her head yes before stepping away from him and walking back up the hall. “See you then, Bunny.”

                “Hey! I thought I told you I never wanted to hear that name again,” he called after her, completely embarrassed by his high school nickname.

                “Stop, you love it.” She laughed as she turned to face him one last time. His entire face was glowing, something she hadn’t seen in a long time.

                He giggled. “I’ll see you later, Mina.” He waved prior to continuing down the path he was headed on.

                _Well, that was refreshing._ She took in a deep breath as she rounded a corner. _But now it’s time to find Sehun…Oh!_

                “Oh! Hey! Watch where you’re going!” Sehun teased when she nearly ran right into him. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.” He then lowered his voice. “Who were you talking to just now?”

                Mina tried to keep a neutral face as she thought up a lie. _He’d know I was lying if I said no one, and he heard Baekhyun’s voice, right?_ “That was Baekhyun? I think that’s his name… but he was saying it’s nice I finally came out to see you, and asked if I liked the show.”

                “Huh, really?” Sehun frowned as he motioned for her to follow him.

                “Why do you sound so surprised?” She raised an eyebrow.

                “Because he’s been the least responsive to you. I think everyone else has brought you up at least once to me since you visited, but he hasn’t really said anything.”

                “Do you think he’s… jealous?”

                Sehun snorted. “Baekhyun? Jealous? He’s got enough women to worry about. Besides, he knows there’s nothing that’ll break us apart.” He slung his arm across her shoulders before snuggling his face against the side of her neck.

                Another wave of guilt upset her stomach as he kissed her cheek and giggled under his breath. _Mina what are you doing!? Sehun adores you, and you’re messing around with Baekhyun again… but it’s only friendly, right? We’re just catching up with one another, and one day we’ll tell Sehun we just attended the same high school together._

_Right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, and thank you for all your kudos/subs/bookmarks! It makes me happy to know you guys are enjoying this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Things are about to take a twist, so fasten those seat belts and I'll see you all next update! :)


	4. Chapter 4

                _I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be doing this._ Mina repeated the same words in a mantra as she stood outside of Baekhyun’s apartment complex. In the days leading up to this, she tried to get him to agree to visit a café or a restaurant, but he insisted he’d get spotted and he didn’t want to put her in danger.

                _It’s dangerous enough going in here knowing I still have feelings for him._ She sucked in air as she entered the building, pulling her phone out of her purse to read the last text he sent with the room number. She took the elevator up, found his room, and took in another deep breath to calm her nerves before knocking on the door. Before she knew it, a familiar pair of brown eyes were meeting hers.

                “Hey…” His lips curved into a shy smile as he opened the door all the way, inviting her inside.

                “Hey. How are you?”

                “Fine, but long day…” He sighed. “But it’s better now that you’re here.” He closed the door behind them. “How are you?”

                “Fine, but I had a long day as well.” She smiled before looking around his place. _For someone that’s so rich this place is very ordinary. But Baekhyun always liked simple things._

                “Well, we can relax now.” He plopped down on the sofa, patting the cushion beside him.

                Mina joined him, feeling like they were lovers once again, but she quickly erased those thoughts when Sehun came to mind. _You’re just here to talk, not screw him.  Relax._

                “So… what did you want to talk about?” she asked, feeling her heart race as Baekhyun’s eyes roved her body, his lack of subtlety nerve-wracking.

                “I just wanted to catch up, honestly. It’s been… five… no six years?” He bit his lip, prolonging his stare at her legs before meeting her eyes.  “It’s been too long, Mina.”

                “It has been.” She cleared her throat, finding his gaze to be nearly smoldering. “I’m… I’m sorry I didn’t stay in contact with you-”

                “No, I understand. Stuff happens.” He shrugged, his blue button up shirt slightly sliding off of his shoulder. It was then that she realized he was dressed up more than usual.

                _When did he start dressing so… amazing?_ She tried not to stare at his partially exposed chest, his collarbones, or the way his thighs looked in his black slacks. _Is this on purpose, or is this just what he wears around the house? No, this is on purpose._

“Do you like what you see or something?” He teased, the smirk on his face more arousing than Mina remembered.

                “No… I mean…” She began blushing, and he laughed quietly at how flustered he could get her.

                “You’re still the same.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, what’s new with you? How has my Mimi grown up?”

                “Baekhyun, please.” She frowned, but she enjoyed his attention. “I’m a culinary artist,” she said, her voice barely audible.

                “Woah, so you finally reached your dreams… I remember you used to burn food all the time when we were together- OUCH! Hey!”

                “I always made you delicious food!” She playfully snapped at him as she hit his arm just enough to hurt.

                “I’m joking!” He swatted her hand away and grabbed her wrist. Both of their cheeks flushed pink. Baekhyun pulled away first and cleared his throat.

                “So… I see you finally started that music career you always wanted to,” she started after a brief moment of silence.

                “Ah, yeah.” A smile tugged on the corner of his plush lips as he leaned back on the arm of the sofa. “It’s all turning out great and everything.” His eyes focused on the fluffy, white rug in front of the sofa. “I’m honestly really surprised you’ve never heard of me before you met Sehun and all… We’ve been everywhere Mina.” He finally looked at her, his smile bigger than ever. “We went to freaking America and Europe on tour. It’s so crazy.”

                “That’s great!” _He always used to tell me about how he wanted to travel. This is nice. He’s getting to do what he always dreamed of._

                “I’ll have to take you one day-” He covered his mouth with his hand. “Oops… I mean…”

                “No, it’s fine. Don’t say sorry.” She waved away his apology. “Just because I’m with Sehun that doesn’t change the fact we were friends before.”

                “Aren’t we… still friends… now?”

                The question took Mina off guard. “It’s been years Baekhyun. We’ve met so many different people since then; our lives are so different now-”

                “Yeah, so? I never forgot about you. After all this time. I missed you, Mina.”

                 She hesitated to answer him before the words just fell out of her mouth. “I missed you too, Baekhyun.”

                What might’ve been the beginning of a smile crumpled to a frown as he let out a sigh. The pained expression on his face hurt Mina, but she had no words to comfort him. The silence between them now was imminent. Mina knew his thoughts were the same as hers: They should’ve stayed together, and he wanted to be with her just like she wanted to be with him.

                _I’m such a fool._ She focused on the pale blue vase across the room, finding the white lilies it was holding beautiful. _A fool that’s still in love with him._ She rested her gaze back on Baekhyun who was staring at her intently.

                “You have to go back, don’t you?” He asked quietly.

                She nodded her head, silently standing to her feet.

                “It was a pleasure to speak with you again.” He walked her to the door. His words were more formal, more sophisticated than she would’ve liked.

                “It was nice to see one another again.”

                “Do you think… we could meet up again?” His gaze was piercing, yet she could still see sadness and longing in his eyes.

                “Of course.”

                They smiled at the same time before he bid her goodbye.

                “Take care, OK?” His hand suddenly landed on the small of her back as he opened the front door. “Text me when you get home. I want to know you made it back safely.”

                _Did he just!?_ Before Mina could process what was going on, she felt his lips press against her cheek in a fleeting kiss.

                “I love you,” he whispered against her skin.

                His touch, the kiss, and his gaze seemed to burn straight to her soul as she stepped out of his doorway. He waved her goodbye and closed the door once she was safely outside.

                _He didn’t just do that… did he!?_ She baulked at his self-assurance, but yet she was still drawn to him. _He knows I’m with Sehun, and he knows Sehun loves me so why…?_

As much as she wanted to figure him out, she started to make her way out of the building and back towards her place. It wasn’t until right before bed, when Sehun kissed her good night and all the lights were out when she figured it out.

                _He knows I still love him too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! I know this is different from the usual Wednesday updates, but I felt like uploading this one as a surprise for you guys. How are you all feeling so far about the story? Do you think Mina will betray Sehun? Do you think even Baekhyun would betray Sehun? Comment if you like! And make sure to leave a kudos if you enjoyed this. :)  
> Next update things will get a little _steamy_ so get ready! I'll see you all next time.


	5. Chapter 5

                It was a little over a week later when Mina arranged plans to meet Baekhyun again. Sehun was still unsuspecting, and she wasn’t feeling as guilty as before about meeting up with him.

                _It’s no big deal anyway. It’s not like we’re having sex. And if Sehun asks, we can just always tell him we were childhood friends. But I guess he’d question why we’re meeting behind his back…_

_He’ll just never have to find out._

                Mina walked up to Baekhyun’s room after dark, each step taken in confidence as she scouted the hall before knocking on his door. Sehun was out drinking with someone named Chanyeol, she told Sehun she needed to collect something from her job, and Baekhyun communicated to her that he told everyone else he was going back to his parents’ house for the night. There was nothing for Sehun or any of the other members to be suspicious about, and there would be no interruptions tonight.

                “Come on in.” Baekhyun smiled after opening his door for her. His voice was as smooth as honey, and it sent a chill down Mina’s spine.

                She nodded. While stepping past him she accidentally brushed against his chest. He was warm, soft, and smelled like her favorite cologne.

                _Enticing._ She heard the door click behind her before he followed, both of them sitting down on his sofa just like last time.

                “I’m glad you could make it over,” he chirped, his eyes this time on her face.

                “I’m glad you had the time.” She took him all in, admiring his choice of clothing. _Baekhyun always looked good in tight black jeans._

“I’ve always got time for you.” He smirked. “Would you like something to drink?”

                “Yes, please.” She found herself blushing under his gaze, and it wasn’t until he left the room until she felt like she could breathe again. How could one man twist her up like this? How could the annoying jerk she met in high school be so mature and sexy now?

                “You still do that thing where you stare into space with that dumb look on your face?” Baekhyun’s voice was jarring.

                Mina gazed up to find him handing her a glass half full of red wine. “Baekhyun, really?” She narrowed her eyes as she took the wine glass from him.

                “Come on! We never got to drink when we were kids. Loosen up.” He chuckled as he sat back down beside her, a little closer than last time. “We always wanted to do this together anyway, right?”

                “Well, yeah… I guess.” She swirled the drink, trying to do anything to keep her eyes off of her ex-boyfriend.

                “I’m sorry I couldn’t take you out to a restaurant or anything… I didn’t want to risk getting caught.”

                “It’s fine. This is nice too.”

                 “Just don’t waste anything on my furniture.” He raised an eyebrow before bringing his lips to the glass.

                _And here I was thinking he was going to propose a toast to something._ Mina focused on the opposite wall instead, taking a sip as well. _Why would he though anyway? This is no special occasion._

They were silent for only a brief moment until Baekhyun broke the silence with common formal questions. Mina hated how awkward and stiff they were, and she wanted to loosen the mood up more than anything.

                Then _it_ happened.

                “… so my manager said I should take the offer, so I’m going to be singing for my own movie. Isn’t that cool?” He bounced a little in his seat as he placed his now empty wine glass on the table in front of them.

                Mina nodded, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the glass begin to tip off of the edge of the table. Baekhyun was still babbling about his movie, completely oblivious to the situation. Mina reached out and grabbed the glass before it fell, but winced when her little finger grazed the corner of the table.

                “Are you OK?” Baekhyun grabbed her hand like his life depended on it.

                “I’m fine. You’re overreacting.” Her words came out a little harsher than she meant, but she was embarrassed.

                _Why is he making such a big deal out of this? And why is he still holding my hand!?_ She watched him as he examined her hand, wanting more than anything to pull out of his grasp. _But his hands are so soft and his touch is so warm…_

                “You always had really delicate and sensitive skin.” He pouted and Mina knew he was using this as an excuse to hold her hand.

                “Baekhyun-” She started to pull away but he stopped her.

                 “I missed you,” he whispered, suddenly changing the mood as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

                “Baekhyun…” She tried to draw away from him again, but his grip on her hand tightened. _If I knew he was going to do this I never would’ve came here!_

                “You missed me too, right?” He continued. “I saw it in your eyes the other day… how you waited and waited for that moment to arrive, and it was finally happening.”

                _He hasn’t lost that ability to read me like a book._ She hesitated before answering, finding his brown eyes mesmerizing. “I… yes I missed you, Baekhyun-”

                “I was going crazy just thinking about how I would never be able to see you again... I asked all over about you. I tried to ask your dad, but he rightfully slammed the door in my face.” He laughed under his breath. “Even after that I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Everyone I dated just never felt the same as you. It didn’t matter how much money they all had, how beautiful they were, or how nice they were to me… They just weren’t _you_ , Mina.”

                _He’s straight up flirting with me knowing I’m dating his group member. Help!?_ She nodded her head, suddenly feeling queasy. She loved Baekhyun, but she could do this to Sehun. Sehun loved her too, more than she could ever love him, and she couldn’t help but think of how devastated he’d be to know _this_ was going on.

                “I’m glad we finally met again. I meant it when I said it to you last time.” He released her hand, his fingers feeling like silk on her skin.

                “I am too.” She felt her body grow warm as he leaned in closer.

                He paused for a minute, his eyes searching hers for what felt like hours before he dropped the bomb of the evening. “You don’t really love Sehun, do you?”

                Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise. A devilish smirk played on his lips. He knew he had hit the jackpot.

                “Mina… Mina… Mina, don’t you know it’s cruel to toy with people’s hearts?” Baekhyun said in a husky whisper as he scooted closer to her, close enough that she could feel his body heat. “You always liked to play like you were so innocent, but I know the real you and I know where your heart belongs.”

                “Baekhyun-” She gasped when his hand landed on her thigh, his face so close to hers now his nose nearly bumped hers.

                “Answer me truthfully.” He paused, the wine on his breath potent. “Do you love Sehun?”

                She swallowed, knowing Baekhyun had her right where he wanted her. He was cunning, observant, and he always knew how to get the truth out of her. Mina might’ve been sneaky, but Baekhyun was the king of scheming.

                Baekhyun laughed under his breath. “I take that as a no. You never forgot about me either, huh?”

                “No…” Her heart began to race when he inched his hand up her thigh. Each move he made felt like fire over her skin, but she was loving it.

                “For how long did you wish you could find me? How many men did you settle with, hoping they’d be as good as me?” He quirked an eyebrow when she didn’t respond. “No one can replace me, Mina.” He held her chin with one hand while pushing the other hand under her skirt. “And no one can replace you in my heart.”

                She saw the kiss coming, but she didn’t expect his lips to be so soft and warm. She remembered Baekhyun’s kisses to be sloppier and more rushed, but he had clearly improved over the years. He completely dominated her, barely giving her a chance to breathe before he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. Mina’s breath hitched in her throat when she felt his fingers on the waist band of her panties as he sucked on her lip.

                Part of her wanted to tell him to stop, but it was only for Sehun’s sake. Mina wanted Baekhyun, and that one kiss alone completely wiped her memory of Sehun.

                Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself into his lap, loving the way he groaned under her. The contrast of his rough jeans against her delicate skin was arousing, as was the growing bulge in his pants.

                “Please tell me you feel the same about me,” he muttered when they broke away for air, insecurity dancing in his brown eyes.

                “I knew every man I came across was never the same as you.” She stared into his eyes while running her hands up his chest before unbuttoning his shirt. She smiled when he stopped breathing, loving the control she had over him. “No one ever looked at me the way you did Baekhyun, or took care of me the way you did.”

                “Of course they didn’t,” he whispered, the cockiness returning for a brief second as he pushed her hair away from her face. “Because they could never love you like I do.”

                Mina believed him when he pressed his lips against hers again in a quick kiss. She ground her crotch into his, tracing his bottom lip with her tongue before nipping him as he let out a breathy moan. His taste was irresistible, as were the noises he was producing as she stimulated him further.

                “Bedroom,” he whispered between kisses as he grabbed her hips, forcing her off of him as he stood up. His lips and hands never seemed to leave her skin as he led her down a hallway to his bedroom, easily pushing her down on the bed and lying between her legs.

                No words were said as they undressed one another, Mina reliving their very first time as she tossed Baekhyun’s shirt aside and he removed hers.

                “You’re so beautiful.” His voice was still low as he leaned down to kiss her again, one hand running down her side before he hooked one finger in the waistband of her panties. He left kisses all along her neck, and stopped at her freckled chest. “Well, these are bigger than I remember them to be.” He left a wet kiss right between her breasts before motioning for her to sit up so he could unclasp her bra.

                She blushed in embarrassment as he threw her bra aside. “I bet you’re still small.”

                “Oh, daddy’s packing, baby.” Baekhyun smirked as he squeezed her breasts, playing with each nipple in turn. Once he had each nipple hard he ran his hands down her sides, one hand still holding her waist while he touched her through her underwear with the other.

                “You’re so wet,” he whispered against her ear as he started rubbing her. “I didn’t know you wanted me this badly, Mina. How bad did you want daddy?”

                Mina’s response was a moan as he quickened his motions. She thought she was going to come on just his touch alone, but he stopped touching her when her breathing became more sporadic. Before she could get a word out, he crashed his lips against hers again, grinding his still clothed erection against her. “Touch me,” he growled against her lips.

                Mina was quick to remove him of his jeans. Reaching down between them both she unbuckled his belt, slid his pants down his thighs, and off his ankles.

                _Yeah, he’s definitely bigger now._ She eyed the bulge in his pants before flipping him over and taking the top position. She pressed her lips against his as she palmed him through the cloth of his boxers. She swallowed back his moans as he wiggled beneath her, biting his bottom lip and pulling it between her teeth when his thigh brushed against her hip bone. She sat back on him, loving how aroused yet irritated he looked.

                “Mina, please,” he begged, trying to create friction between them both.

                “How long did you think about me Baekhyun? What was the first thought that went through your mind when you saw me again?”

                “Fuck, shit, I don’t know? Ever since you… stopped… texting… me…years ago.” He let out a breathy sigh as she eased his boxers down slowly. “Fuck, Mina hurry up!”

                She smiled at his response, loving how riled up she could get him. When all of him was finally free and she tossed his boxers aside she had to admit, “Yeah, you are bigger than the last time.”

                “Just… blow me…” he whined, making her bite her lip. It was something she should find annoying, but the way he half whined, half moaned was a turn on.

                “Answer the second question.” She eased herself between his legs.

                His glare was enough to raise the dead. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful you are… Holy shit…” He hissed through his teeth when she kissed his tip. “… And how grown up you look… You look _so_ fucking amazing, Mina.”

                “So do you.” She met his eyes before licking him from base to tip slowly, watching as he bit his lip and shuddered.

                Talking was replaced with grunts and moans as Mina gripped the base of Baekhyun’s cock before taking his head slowly into her mouth.

                “Holy fucking shit,” he groaned when she swirled her tongue across him before taking in more of him.

                Mina tried to remember all the little things Baekhyun liked, how he liked her to play with his balls while sucking him, or how sensitive his inner thighs were. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he even liked a good ass smack or pinch.

                She took as much of him into her mouth before wrapping her fingers around the rest. His moans were music to her ear as she ran her thumb along the vein on the underside of him while bobbing her head. It was within mere seconds she felt him threading his fingers through her hair and his breathing became heavier and unsteady.

                Not wanting him to get off so easily, she stopped when he started whining her name and tried to fuck her mouth.

                “Why the fuck did you-” he started yelling, but when she grabbed him harder than necessary his breath hitched and he let out a breathy moan.

                “You always liked teasing, didn’t you,” she breathed against his cock, watching as the lust yet fear crossed through his eyes.

                “Mina, please,” he begged.

                “Please what?”

                “I’m not playing fucking mind games with… _you…_ Holy fuck Mina, stop!” His hips bucked forward when she stroked him again quickly, twisting her strokes on the second time up. “Just let me come, please,” he whimpered.

                _How is this the same man that wanted me to call him daddy back then?_ Mina smirked when she kissed his inner thigh and released him. A dissatisfied sigh echoed in the air, but was quickly cut off when she kissed him again. Baekhyun groaned, tasting himself on her lips and in her mouth as he flipped her over again so he was on top. He said nothing as he slipped her panties off, slid his hand down her inner thigh to let her know he was going for it, and pushed a finger inside of her.

                “Baekhyun-” she started, but stopped when he pushed another finger in and curled them as if he had burned her spot into memory.

                _Holy shit; he’s so good._ She curled her toes as he moved down lower to kiss her neck sweetly.

                “Don’t leave any marks,” she whispered even though she wished he could leave all the love bites he wanted along her neck, chest and thighs. She wanted him to fuck her until she couldn’t walk the next day.

                He nodded yet remained silent as he pulled his fingers out of her and motioned for her to wrap her legs around his waist. He took her slowly as if it was their very first time, letting out a quiet moan when he was all the way in. He made sure she was OK before he started moving, holding her steady as he rocked his hips into hers.

                As hot and steamy as Mina wanted this to be, she noticed one thing had changed about Baekhyun since they were last together. He was as gentle as he could be with her, and his lips never left hers or her skin the whole time. She took in everything about him, how he smelled, how his lips felt against hers, how smooth and silky his hair was as she ran her fingers through it… And she took in all of the feelings she hadn’t experienced in so long with him. She didn’t know if she’d ever get another moment to be with him like this and she wanted this to last for eternity, but when he thrusts became sloppier she felt her heart sink.

                “I’m close,” he breathed against the shell of her ear.

                She wanted to tell him to pull out to make their night last longer, but that was impossible. If Baekhyun was her boyfriend they could go at it for hours, but he wasn’t. _Sehun was._

                “I love you,” she whispered, touching his face to bring his lips over to hers in a quick kiss.

                “I love you too, Mina.” He smiled fondly at her, brushing her hair out of her face. He then leaned back, pulling her into his lap for a new position.

                “You’re so beautiful, you know that right?” He asked as he squeezed her breast while rolling his hips into hers.

                “God, yes.” Her answer came out in partial pleasure from him. He felt so good it was mind numbing, and she felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge.

                “Come for me,” he whispered against her ear as he bucked his hips into hers harder.

                “Shit, Baekhyun!” She dug her nails into his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he increased the pace. Her world was spinning and the next thing she knew she was seeing white when he hit her spot just right. His name was a chant passing through her lips and onto his skin as he held her steady before he came inside her, completely filling her. His moaning was enough to turn her on again, but he pulled out of her moments later, allowing them to both collapse side by side.

                “I think that was the best sex we ever had,” Baekhyun grumbled between labored breathing.

                Mina nodded her head wordlessly, trying to catch her breath. Out of everyone she had sex with, Baekhyun was always the best. No matter how much bigger they were than him, they failed to get across to her that they loved her. When she had sex with Baekhyun, she knew he loved her and cared for her.

                “You… you’re on your pills still, right?” He lifted his head when she didn’t answer, his eyebrows creasing in worry.

                _Oh shit. I totally forgot about condoms._ “We didn’t have safe sex like we were taught in health class…” She faked panic to scare him.

                “Oh my God… Mina please tell me you’re on them still!” He sat up on his elbows so fast she busted out laughing.

                She watched as his frown deepened. “Yes, Baekhyun, I am.”

                “Don’t fucking scare me like that!” He let out a huge sigh as he collapsed back on the bed again. “You’re not lying for my sake, right?”

                “No, I’m still taking them every day. We’re safe.”

                “Good.” He let out another sigh of relief. “Not that I’m opposed to us having kids or anything… I mean… It would be OK… if you didn’t take the pill…”

                Mina raised an eyebrow as he turned away to hide a blush. _Did he just try to hint that he wants kids with me? He couldn’t possibly…?_

“Uh… so do you want to shower together?” he quietly asked into the pillow.

                She nodded. “But you’re going to have to carry me there.”

                He snorted. “I wasn’t even _that_ rough, but OK.” He smiled as he stood up and motioned for Mina to scoot closer to him.

                “Wow, you’ve gotten heavier!” He joked as he lifted her up bridal style.

                “Do you want to see me again, or no?”

                “Sorry,” he squeaked as she glared at him.

                “Besides, you’ve put on some weight too.” She playfully poked his side.

                “Don’t tell me about it,” he groaned while she smiled.

                She could get used to always being here with him like this.

* * *     

               

                “Why did we ever break up?” Baekhyun breathed as he flopped down in the bed again after their shower together.

                “You wanted to.” She shrugged even though she remembered his every word from that day very clearly. “It was something dumb about we didn’t have time for each other.”

                “You should’ve stopped me…” He stuck his swollen pink lips out in a pout. “We should’ve never broken up. We have such good chemistry.”

                “Chemistry to you is great sex.” She scoffed.

                “No it’s not! We hardly ever have awkward moments, and we almost always understand one another, right? Yeah we do fight, but we always made up in the end. And God do we have mind blowing sex, but that’s not the point. I can _never_ stop thinking about you, Mina. You’re who I think of before bed every night. I always wondered if you were OK, and how each day passed for you. I always wished it was you I was with, but I was so sure I’d never seen you again…”

                “I never thought I’d see you again either.” She brushed his black fringe out of his face.

                “Can you stay the night?” He asked quietly as his eyes searched her face.

                Mina sighed in disappointment. _Great, how can I tell Sehun I’m not coming home tonight? As much as I want to stay with him here, I can’t think of anything to tell Sehun._

“You know, it’s OK if you can’t. I don’t want to get you, or us, in trouble.”

“It’s fine.” She bit her lip. _What could I possibly tell him? My friend is depressed and I needed to stay with her for the night?_

“Are you sure?” He raised his eyebrows as she grabbed her phone from the bedside table.

                _What can I tell him…_ She bit her lip harder as Baekhyun watched her curiously. _What’s something believable, and something that doesn’t allow him to come looking for me? I guess I could tell him the story about my friend._

                “What did you do?” Baekhyun’s tone was dry as she sent out the text to Sehun.

                “Don’t worry about it.” She patted his cheek before snuggling closer to him. “I’ll stay, just for tonight.”

                He hesitated before breaking out into a smile. “Good, because there’s this bedtime story I’ve been dying to tell you.”

                _Oh boy… This again_. _He hasn’t changed at all._ She returned his smile. “Will you sing me to sleep too?”

                “Yeah… that too.” He left a soft kiss on her forehead, bringing her body closer to his as he started telling her a new story he had come along across the years.

                She let out a content sigh as she etched patterns against his bare back with her finger tips, still not believing they were together again. She never wanted the night to end as he giggled against her hair or when his hands still wandered where they weren’t supposed to, but she knew all things had to come to an end. She tried not to think about Sehun as Baekhyun’s quiet snoring finally reached her ears, but she knew she would have to do something about him. She just couldn’t drag him along like this when her heart belonged with Baekhyun.

                _He’s going to be devastated... no… worse than that._ She entwined her legs with Baekhyun’s, keeping herself close to him as she tried to just live in the moment. Sehun could wait until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, how are you guys feeling about this? Do you think what they did was right? Do you think this is what Baekhyun had planned all along? Do you think he's _really_ serious about Mina? Discuss below if you like!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading guys and thanks for all your lovely kudos/subs/bookmarks! Means a lot! I'll see you all next update!


	6. Chapter 6

                Pale yellow light met Mina’s eyes the next morning along with the sight of an unfamiliar bedroom. The house was cooler than she wanted it to be, the sheets slightly softer than the ones back home, and the man next to her smelled different than the one she slept with every night.

                “Mimi,” he whispered her name softly, almost on cue.

                Mina curled away from Baekhyun’s touch, bringing the white sheets closer to her face to stop him. Mina always hated how he would whisper her name across the shell of her ear until she woke up. It tickled, and was the most unsatisfying feeling so early in the morning.

                “Baekhyun stop,” she whined, earning giggles from him until she turned to face him.

                “I forgot how cute your morning face is.” His grin was contagious. “How your hair is all messy…” He reached out to ruffle her hair. “And how you used to always look at me like this.”

                Mina gently slapped his hand away, narrowing her eyes despite the growing smile on her face. She too missed waking up to Baekhyun in the morning. There was never a moment when he didn’t stop smiling, and he made her feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Mina knew the feelings she experienced with Baekhyun were true love.

                “Don’t be shy. And don’t act like we’ve never done this before,” he sang, wiggling his eyebrows as he leaned over to peck her forehead. “Good morning, love.”

                “Good morning.” She allowed him to wrap his arm around her as she cuddled up against his chest.

                She laid against him for a moment, listening to his heartbeat as Baekhyun traced patterns against her skin. The rising sun’s light seemed to move faster than usual across his bedroom, making Mina’s heart sink. _Why can’t time just stand still?_

                “You’re going to have to leave soon, right?” Baekhyun’s voice was a soft whisper, echoing her previous thought.

                She sighed, not wanting to agree with him. She wanted to lay here like this with him forever, but she knew he probably had a schedule today and she needed to get back home to Sehun.

                _Sehun…_ Her heart lurched at the thought of seeing him within mere minutes. _I hope he didn’t try to stay up waiting for me, and I hope he didn’t wake up early expecting me to be back by now._

Baekhyun didn’t say another word as he kissed her forehead again, cradling her in his arms as if he didn’t want to let her go.

                _He’s so quiet. Is he thinking about Sehun too? And what we both have to go back to?_ She wanted to look up at his face, but from this angle it was impossible.

                “What do we do… about Sehun,” he asked seconds later. “What are we going to tell him?”

                “What do you mean?” She pushed away from him and sat up on her elbows. “We’re not going to tell him anything-”

                “Mina, Sehun isn’t as dumb as he looks.” There was pain written all over Baekhyun’s face. “He’s going to find out about this sooner or later.”

                The silence between them was unbearable as the situation they were in dawned upon them. Mina didn’t regret sleeping with Baekhyun last night, and she knew he didn’t regret it either. This was going to be a continuous cycle, and there was no way she was letting go of Baekhyun now that they were _together_ again.

                “Just… we’ll figure it out later.” She decided on, watching as Baekhyun frowned at her. “We’ll just play it cool in the meantime. And this is a secret, just between us.”

                “OK,” he simply said after a while, running his fingers through his hair.

                _Maybe we shouldn’t have done this._ Mina sensed his irritation as he sat up, letting the sheets fall down to his waist. _How’s Sehun ever going to recover from his friend sleeping with his girlfriend? He’s so sensitive… What have I done? After all he’s told me about how he values honesty and loyalty... how he’s so open with me. We’re going to break him…_

_I’m a monster._

* * *

               

                “Hey!”

                Mina felt like she had just been hit full speed by a train when Sehun greeted her right at the front door to their apartment.

                “Where’ve you been? I missed you last night.” The concern in his tone and on his face was sickening to her.

                “It was a _long night_ , Hun,” she sung, trying to sound as natural as possible as he stood up from the dining room chair. _Yeah, a long night with his friend in the sheets alright._

“Why didn’t you call me?” He crossed his arms over his chest as she walked past him. “I left the bar to come see about you, but you wouldn’t pick up the phone.”

                _Why is he so loveable and caring?_ “I’m sorry. It died while I was out.”

                Sehun’s eyes searched her face, and for a second she thought he saw right through her. “I swear you always have the worst timing.” He snorted. “I’m just glad to know you’re safe.”

                “Yeah, I’m sorry about the scare.” She smiled at him, but it felt so fake it hurt. To hide her face from him, she walked closer to him to plant a soft kiss against the corner of his mouth. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

                “It better not. I was worried sick.” He held her in place by putting both of his hands on her hips. “I missed you last night.” A smile pulled the corner of his lips up. “It feels weird without you here sleeping beside me.” He pressed his lips against hers.

                Guilt racked through her body as she tried to kiss him back. His lips were soft and he smelled so good, but he just wasn’t _Baekhyun_ and he could never replace him.

                “Hey, what’s wrong?” Sehun pulled away from her lackluster kiss.

                “Nothing… I’m just really tired. I’m sorry, Sehun.” She let out an exhausted sigh. In truth, she was tired from last night, and she was drained mentally from figuring out how to lie to Sehun.

                “You know… I could help with that. I could get you off to sleep faster, like we always do.” One of his hands roamed down to her ass.

                _Oh God please no. I don’t think my body could even handle him right now. But if I tell him no he’s really going to know something is up, and I can’t let him get suspicious about anything until Baekhyun and I figure out what our next move is. I’ve never turned down sex from him._ She looked up at her boyfriend, nodding her head shyly to play along with him.

                “I think that’s a great idea. Could you… please, _Sehun_ ,” she seductively whispered against his lips while grabbing him through his sweatpants.

                His breath hitched in his throat and she smiled at the fact he was already half hard. Sehun was fast to take the invitation, attaching his lips to hers again as he led her to the bedroom. He gave what he promised, completely pleasuring her and doing most of the work until he had her screaming his name.

                The entire act happened in a blur to Mina. Sehun was bigger than Baekhyun and his thrusts were slightly different than his, but she couldn’t stop hearing and feeling Baekhyun in her mind as she got closer and closer to her climax. Sehun came first, and Mina had to bite her lip to keep herself from saying the wrong name when she came shortly after.

                Instead of feeling the same way she did with Baekhyun last night, she felt the complete opposite as Sehun slipped out of her and laid beside her. He was the same as ever, petting her hair and telling her how pretty she was, but the moment they were in didn’t feel right to her.

                “I love you too, Sehun,” she lied as he kissed her nose tip and snuggled up against her. He was babbling about how he had to go into work later, but she was barely listening as she was consumed in her own thoughts.

                _Baekhyun was right. There never will be anyone that can replace him._ She ran her fingers through Sehun’s hair as the realization sunk in. _And I’m with a man I don’t even love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and thank you for all your lovely kudos/subs/bookmarks! How are you all feeling about this so far? Do you think Mina will stop seeing Baekhyun after she sees how much Sehun adores her? Discuss if you want!
> 
> Once again, a big thank you to you guys for your support! I'll see you all next update~


	7. Chapter 7

                The days passed by slowly for Mina, and she just didn’t feel like herself ever since her night with Baekhyun. Sehun noticed a difference too, she knew by the way he’d look at her, but he hadn’t vocalized his thoughts to her just yet. She felt like she was always on edge, waiting for him to snap at her about Baekhyun, but the day never came. Instead, a bigger nightmare ensued.

                “Hey… I’m going to be out of town for a while. Do you… want to see me one last time at the last Seoul concert?” Sehun asked as they lounged together on the sofa one lazy afternoon.

                _No. Tell him no. I can’t afford to see Baekhyun right now. But think of how devastated Sehun would be if I said no…_ “Sure.” She couldn’t meet his eyes as she thought about who would be there. She wasn’t sure how Baekhyun was behaving around Sehun, but he did promise to keep that night and their still continuing text messages a secret.

                _How can all three of us even be in the same room together?_ She smiled at Sehun, trying to fake excitement as he ran his hand down her thigh. _Maybe I shouldn’t go? Maybe I should just tell Sehun I don’t love him anymore right now, or maybe I can just tell him it’s too stressful to date him? But he’s so sweet._ She studied his face, remembering the very first time he had talked to her. How shy and clumsy he was in asking her for directions, and even how nervous he was when he asked her out. He was sweet, and he always had been kind to her. _So why do I want to call it off with him? We fight just like every other couple does, but he’s been a sweetheart otherwise._

“Great.” He was beaming. “It’s this Friday at eight. Afterwards we can go out together, since… you know… it’ll be the last time we’ll be seeing one another until I get back.” His smile crumpled into a frown.

                “It’s only for a little while,” she reassured him. “We can call one another while you’re there.”

                “That’s not the same though, Mina. I want to be here with you.” He pouted.

                Mina’s heart sunk as he rested his chin on her shoulder. _How could I hurt someone like him?_ “I know. I want you to be here too.” She sighed, trying to convince him she felt the same. “Maybe… time will fly by?”

                “Maybe…” He kissed her cheek. “You promise to FaceTime me every night, right?”

                “As always.” She smiled at him, and he returned it. “Don’t forget to have fun while you’re away though. Don’t think about me too much.”

                “I’m always thinking about you, Mina.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he pulled away from her and leaned back on the sofa. “Ice cream after my concert?”

                She nodded her head yes before turning away from him. _I shouldn’t have cheated on him with Baekhyun, but it’s too late now. There’s no turning back, right?_

               

* * *

                In the end, Mina did agree to see Sehun off for one last time. She was hoping she would just get to leave with him when the concert was over, but instead he insisted on her seeing the guys one last time while he took care of business.

                _Maybe Baekhyun will be gone? Maybe he’ll just ignore me? Yeah, that would be best._ She swallowed as Sehun took her hand in his and led her into the back room. She greeted the other members as usual and received their traditional teasing, but her stomach dropped when she saw that indeed everyone was present.

                She tried to ignore Baekhyun, but the panic that swept across his features when he noticed her was so obvious she cringed. Instead of focusing on him, she answered Junmyeon’s off the wall questions about her private life with Sehun.

                “You guys use condoms right?” Junmyeon’s eyes were the size of saucers. “I can’t have little Sehun's walking around. You’re still a baby anyway-”

                “Junmyeon!” Sehun hissed through his teeth. “What’s with all the questions, and _yes_ we use condoms!”

                “Because I want you to have safe and protected interactions!”

                _Sehun was right when he told me Junmyeon acts like the mother._ She held back an embarrassed laugh as Sehun pursed his lips.

                “Mina, why don’t you go wait for me outside? I’m almost done anyway,” Sehun abruptly suggested as Junmyeon frowned.

                She nodded, letting his hand go as she headed towards the exit of the room. She was well aware of Baekhyun’s eyes on her, but she continued to ignore him. She pushed her hair out of her face as she finally made it out of the room.

                _He’s not being subtle at all!_ She pressed her back against the cool red bricks of the wall behind her as she waited on her boyfriend. She thought about sending Baekhyun a text to play it cool, but she had more pressing matters on hand when EXO’s main dancer emerged from the room after her.

                “Hey…?” She expected him to continue walking, but he stopped right in front of her.

                “Jongin.” He gave her a smile so quick she wasn’t sure she saw it. “Can we… talk really fast?”

                His rushed tone and lack of friendliness put Mina on guard as she silently agreed with him. He motioned for her to follow him away from the door before the most bizarre sentence flowed from his lips.

                “So… what’s with you and Baekhyun?”

                “What do you mean?”

                He scoffed. “Don’t play games with me. You know what I mean.”

                “Jongin, honestly. There’s nothing between me and that man.”

                “Nothing…” Jongin raised his eyebrows. “I think it’s _something_ with the way you two are always ogling each other. And it’s definitely not _nothing_ with how weird Baekhyun has been acting around Sehun recently.”

                _Baekhyun, what were you doing?_ She let out a sigh, knowing it was hard on him to keep talking to Sehun after what they had done, but for another member to notice a difference wasn’t good. “Jongin, I have no idea what’s wrong with Baekhyun. He probably just thinks I’m cute-”

                “Oh, he thinks _more_ than that. I think the both of you think more than that of each other.” Jongin snorted. “The sneaky text messages, the way he’s so distracted by you, his random disappearances at night… Come on Mina, we’re not stupid. Maybe Sehun doesn’t know that you’re seeing his _friend_ behind his back, but I know.”

                Her eyes widened while his narrowed. She knew it would be difficult to keep up such a façade, but she didn’t expect anyone to catch on so quickly. “Jongin… you don’t understand-”

                “I understand the concept of cheating quite well-”

                “Can you let me talk?” She snapped at him. When he fell silent she continued. “Baekhyun and I have known each other for years; we went to school together and dated for years. Then he went off to pursue this _music career_ and we broke up. We haven’t seen one another in six years until Sehun brought me over last month. We never stopped loving each other-”

                “Well guess who else loves you too?” Jongin growled. “You know Sehun’s really sensitive about people! Why are you doing this to him? What did he do to deserve this?!”

                “It wasn’t on _purpose_!” She snapped back at him. “You’re not me, you’re not Baekhyun, and you wouldn’t understand-”

                “It doesn’t matter if I understand or not! Whatever you two were to one another is in the _past_. Sehun adores you, he talks about you nonstop, he sulks when you don’t answer his texts and calls, and he nearly had a damn heart attack two weeks ago because you were too busy fucking Baekhyun!”

                Mina’s blood ran cold as Jongin continued to scowl at her. “How do you… know about that?”

                “It’s obvious! The way you two looked at each other today, how weird he’s been acting, and Sehun told me you’ve been acting weird too.” Jongin’s scowl turned into a sneer. “You used him, didn’t you? You used Sehun to bring yourself to Baekhyun. God, you’re _pathetic._ ”

                “That’s not true! I really did love Sehun-”

                “You _did_ or you _do_?” Jongin scoffed. “Whatever Mina. You don’t deserve him, and Baekhyun doesn’t either.” He turned on his heel to leave, but then he abruptly stopped. “And hey… Mina.” He turned to face her one last time. “Be happy I’m not going to tell Sehun. I couldn’t stand to watch him crumble right before his world tour. Think of how disappointed the fans will be that Sehun _cried on stage_ because his best friend and his girlfriend stabbed him in the back after he already lost two of his best friends. If you even have a heart and a soul, maybe you can fix this mess you created.”

                With that, Jongin left her alone in the quiet hallway. The men’s laughter from the room echoed outside and she wished she could’ve shared in their joy, but instead she felt like she was breaking to pieces.

                _But the damage is already done. How could I ever fix the relationship between any of us? Either Baekhyun or Sehun will be hurt._ She held back her tears and tried to focus on something entirely different until Sehun appeared from the room.

                _Jongin’s right. I am pathetic._ She watched as he happily waved his friends goodbye before approaching her.

                “Ready?” Sehun asked as he took her hand again.

                “Ready…” Her smile hurt, but she forced it anyway.

                _Maybe this is the right thing to do, though? Clearly Sehun deserves someone better. Maybe I can just tell him after he comes back from tour? I don’t want to hurt him, but regardless of my choice it’s still going to hurt._

She squeezed his hand as he laughed and told her about something one of the members had did backstage, realizing this may be the last time she’d get to hold his hand like this. She glanced up at him, finding the way his eyes half closed when he laughed adorable. The way his eyes sparkled as he reenacted the entire story to her, the way he gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, the way his distinct laughter echoed off of the narrow hallway walls… It was all parts of Sehun that attracted her to him in the first place. It was the reason she looked after him, it was the reason she woke up next to him every morning, and it was all the reason she said yes to him in the first place.

                _It’s true I love Baekhyun more than him, but do I really want to let such a precious person go?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another surprise update for you guys! What are you guys' thoughts so far? Do you think Jongin will really keep his promise? Do you all think Sehun already knows what's going on? Discuss if you want below.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for reading and thank you even more for your lovely comments/kudos/subs. I'll see you all next update!


	8. Chapter 8

                **_Hey… do you think you could come over? We need to talk._**

Mina stared at her phone screen while quietly sitting on the living room sofa. It had been a few days since she had seen Baekhyun, and it still wasn’t enough time for her to think about what she wanted to do about the horrible situation she had brought upon herself.

                _Maybe he and I can talk it out though? Maybe he wants to go back on our decision as well? Maybe we can fix this?_ Her heart sunk, and she clenched her fist in her lap. _But I still love Baekhyun and I don’t want him to tell me he wants to end this._

                Without answering his text, Mina stood to her feet and grabbed her purse from the table by the front door. _I’ll go see him again._

                “Sehun!” She called her boyfriend’s name just before she reached the door.

                “What is it?” It seemed to take him forever to emerge from the kitchen. “Hey, where are you going so soon?”

                “Friend called. She needs me again.” She kissed Sehun on the lips when he approached her. “This time she has a flat tire and needs me to drive her to the local auto store for a spare.”

                “Don’t you think you’re doing a lot for your friend?” He raised his black bushy eyebrows. “And shouldn’t she have a spare?”

                “She didn’t have one, and that’s what friends are for Sehun. I promise I’ll be back in a few hours.”

                He laughed under his breath, but it was not his usual happy laugh. “OK,” was all he said as he rubbed her shoulders. “After you get back, can we… talk, please?”

                She frowned. _He isn’t catching on to this, is he?_ “About what?”

                “We just need to talk.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

                “Well, we can do the talking now, Sehun. I have time. What’s wrong?”

                “No, go see about your friend. I’m sure she really needs you now.” His tone was sincere, but his face told another story. Before Mina could stop him, he waved her goodbye as he walked back to the kitchen.

                _What was that about?_ She shook her head in exasperation before grabbing the door knob and exiting their shared apartment.

                _I hope he hasn’t figured out about Baekhyun and I yet._ Her stomach churned as she headed down the hall to the parking garage. _He couldn’t have, right? Or did Jongin tell him?_ She bit her lip. _I hope he doesn’t know, because a small part of me still wants him._

               

* * *

                “Oh… hey…” Baekhyun drawled in surprise when Mina showed up at his front door.

                “Don’t look so shocked.” She smiled before brushing past him.

                “Well, you didn’t answer me back, so I was kind of in the middle of something… I didn’t expect you to show up.” He closed the door behind them. “How are things going?”

                She shrugged. “OK, I guess? Except… Jongin knows about us.”

                “Yeah… I know.” Baekhyun sighed.

                “This was supposed to be a secret-”

                “ _I know_ , and I’m sorry!” Baekhyun looked away. “But you know how hard it is to go around acting like nothing happened.”

                _At least you don’t have to live with Sehun._ Mina bit her lip. “Who else knows?”

                “No one. I swear.” He walked closer to her. “But… that’s what I called you over to talk about. We need to figure out what we want to do with Sehun.”

                “You’re acting like we’re going to kill him!”

                “Might as well be,” he muttered as he led her down the hall to his living room. “But what are we going to do, Mina? We can’t keep this a secret forever!”

                “I know we can’t.” She chewed on her lip. “Do you think we should just… tell him?”

                “Tell him what? That we slept together?”

                “No… I mean…” She sighed in frustration. _There’s just no easy way to tell him, is there?_ “Baekhyun, I don’t want to hurt him.”

                “And I don’t either.” Baekhyun stopped walking to give her a pitying look. “It was never in my wildest dreams to hurt one of my friends, but I want to be with you Mina. You’re more important to me than he ever could be. Sehun and I… we’re just friends, but you… you’re the love of my life.” He brushed her hair out of her face before cupping her cheeks with both hands. “You understand that, right?”

                “I… yes,” she squeaked, mesmerized by his brown eyes. He was even more beautiful than the last time she saw him.

                “And you want to be with me too, right?” His smile was hopeful.

                She knew her answer should’ve been immediate, but she still couldn’t help but to feel bad for Sehun.

_You’ve only been with him for a few months. That’s nothing compared to the years you were with Baekhyun._ A smile rose on her lips as she nodded her head yes, completely forgetting about Sehun when Baekhyun kissed her. His lips were so soft against hers, yet he was completely dominate. She felt like she was on fire with the way he touched her and pressed her up against the wall.

                “We were meant to be together.” He breathed across her lips as he groped her through her shirt. “You told me back in school that you never believed in fate and you never believed in any of those other _silly things_ , but look where we are today.” He chuckled against her skin as he kissed her neck and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt. “Do you believe in it now, Mimi?”

                She bit back a moan as Baekhyun opened her legs with his thigh, one hand wandering where it didn’t need to be while the other squeezed her breast.

                “I want you, Mina,” he breathed across her skin as he slid his hand up her skirt and pushed her panties aside with his fingers. He hummed when he felt how wet she already was for him.

                “But… Sehun…” She gasped when he pushed a finger inside her.

                “Fuck Sehun.” His voice was a low growl. “This is between you and me right now.”

                “Yeah, _fuck Sehun_.”

                Pure fear crossed Baekhyun’s features as he stopped dead in his tracks. Mina looked past him to find Sehun standing in the doorway to the apartment, his arms crossed across his chest.

                _He followed me!?_ All the air seemed to be sucked out of her as she gaped at him. The once warm and comforting atmosphere dissipated within an instant.

                “So this is what _helping a friend out_ is, Mina?” He asked as he took a step towards them, his shoes clicking against the hardwood floor. His presence was foreboding, and it made her skin crawl.

                “Sehun…” She pushed Baekhyun’s hand away and struggled out of his grasp.

                “Oh, no. Save it.” He laughed under his breath. “I think I’ve put two and two together now.” He snorted as he looked away from both of them. “The stares, how weird the both of you have been acting…” His eyes returned to Mina’s. “Did you really think I was _that_ stupid?”

                “Sehun-” she started but choked. His eyes were so piercing and cold she wanted to run away and hide. He got mad at her from time to time, but she had never seen anything like this before. He was practically seething.

                “Just _stop,_ OK Mina?! I don’t even want to hear it. After everything we had been through…” He stopped himself when his eyes wavered over to Baekhyun’s. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. “Just get your shit out of our place by tomorrow morning.” His voice cracked and Mina felt her heart sink even lower.

_He’s not going to cry, is he?_

                “Sehun wait…” Baekhyun started as he fully turned around to face him.

                “Shut up!” Sehun’s eyes narrowed. “I trusted you! We were supposed to be friends; you were supposed to be my brother! All that time we spent together, did that mean _nothing_ to you?” He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand before turning his back on them. “I trusted the both of you…”

                The sob that echoed through the room was enough to break Mina’s heart. She glanced at Baekhyun, but he remained focused on Sehun.

                _What have I done? What have we done?_ She watched as Baekhyun took cautious steps towards the younger man. She never wanted to hurt Sehun and she never wanted to ruin the relationship between him and Baekhyun, but she saw no way the three of them could ever bounce back from this. It was too deep of a wound to ever mend.

                “Sehun, please don’t cry-” He attempted to wrap his arms around the taller man in a hug.

                “Don’t tell me what to do!” Sehun shoved him away. “You knew how special and important she was to me, and you _still_ destroyed everything that was close to me!”

                “Sehun, wait, just listen…” Baekhyun clung to Sehun’s jacket but the younger man yanked his hands off.

                “What am I supposed to listen to?! I walk in on one of my best friends making out with my girlfriend with his fingers up her-”

                “She’s my ex… Sehun… We knew each other from before you two even got together.”

                Sehun’s face only softened momentarily before he began scowling again. “What? Was that supposed to make me feel better!? I don’t care who she was! The past is the past, and if you wanted to be with her you never should’ve broken up instead of ruining what we had! You’ve always been such a selfish, heartless bitch!”

                 Baekhyun flinched away. Mina expected him to react in a different way, but his next sentence proved her completely wrong. “I know! I’m so sorry, but you don’t even understand our situation.” He grabbed onto Sehun’s jacket again. “Just let me explain-”

                “Was it so _important_ that you had to cheat with _my_ girlfriend?” He shoved the shorter man hard enough to make him stumble. “Whatever, Baekhyun. Our friendship clearly wasn’t that important to you. You can sleep with her whenever you want. She and I are done, and so are you and I.” He sniffed and wiped at his eyes again as he turned on his heel.

                Mina’s heart broke as she watched the man that once loved her storm out of the room with tears in his eyes while the man she loved watched him go, completely powerless in the situation. She didn’t know what to expect from him, and she didn’t know what to do until he slowly turned to face her.

                He was frowning, but Mina could tell it was more out of loss than anger by the look in his eyes. She was too scared to say anything, so she waited for him to speak first.

                “I’m so sorry, Mina…” He covered his mouth with his hand and it was then she realized he was crying too.

                _This is a mess._ She walked over to him to comfort him, but he held his hand up to stop her.

                “Just… leave me alone… please… Just… leave… please. I need to be alone.”

                Mina wanted to help him, but she simply nodded her head and forced back her tears as she grabbed her bag and headed towards the front door. She closed it gently behind her, not missing the sound of crying from inside the room.

                _I just broke the two most important men to me._ She bit her lip as she let the tears finally fall. Mina knew she had been handed one of the greatest hand of cards in life, but she had just ruined it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was bound to happen, huh guys? Sorry it's such a sad update on a happy day (have you guys heard Lotto yet!?!?!), but I hope you all still enjoyed this update!
> 
> As always, thank you all for reading and thank you all for your support! I couldn't finish this story without you guys :) See you all next update~!


	9. Chapter 9

                Removing her belongings from Sehun’s place was terrifying, but finding a new place to live was even scarier.

                _My dad lives on the other side of the country, and there’s no way I can live at the office._ Mina wiped at her nose as she sat in her car outside of Sehun’s apartment. Luckily he wasn’t home, but had left her a rude note on a pile of her clothes he had carelessly collected on _their_ bed.

**_His dick is smaller than mine so have fun._ **

It was so juvenile that Mina should’ve just ignored it and maybe laughed, but for some reason it made her cry. Not because it was true, but because she knew how upset, hurt, and betrayed Sehun must’ve felt. He wasn’t good at conveying his emotions to her or anyone else, and she knew that was his only way to get across to her he hated her and Baekhyun’s guts. She wanted to somehow make it better between them, but she knew there was no way she could talk to him now.

                _I should’ve never cheated on him._ She stared at his number on her phone as it started to rain. She knew he wouldn’t even bother to pick up, but at least she could leave him a message.

                _Is it worth it though? He hates me now. He’s not going to want to hear from me, but maybe… maybe I can make it hurt less?_ She chewed on her bottom lip as the rain picked up, banging against her windshield and the metal of her car with loud pops.

                _I’ll do it._ She hit the call button by his name, not at all surprised when his voicemail came up.

                “Hey… Sehun. It’s me… I know I’m the last person you want to hear from, but… I’m sorry. I never wanted us to end up this way, and I never wanted to hurt you either.” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “You don’t ever have to talk to me again, but I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I’m not begging you to take me back or to forgive me. I shouldn’t have done what I did to you… You deserve better and… I hope you find that special someone…”

                She pulled the phone from her face and clicked the end call button, knowing that would be the last time she’d ever use his number. Sadness bubbled up inside of her, threating to spill over, but she wiped the tears away as she focused on her next task.

                _I should’ve known what I was getting myself into anyway._

 

* * *

_Let’s hope this goes well._ Mina stood outside of his door, combing her fingers through her dripping wet hair and hoping he didn’t have a schedule right now. She had no idea where she’d go next, and she was counting on him to be her savior.

                It was only a few seconds later when all her fears dissipated.

                “Mina?” Baekhyun raised his eyebrows as soon as he opened his door. “What are you… What are you doing here?” His shock was apparent as he looked her drenched frame over. “And what happened to you?”

                “I could ask you the same.” Her tone was bitter and she wished she could take it back by the way he furrowed his eyebrows.

_But it’s true._ _He looks… terrible._ Mina gave him a once over. His hair was barely combed, he looked like he hadn’t slept in ten years, and the discoloration around one of his eyes confirmed that he and Sehun had gotten into it once again.

                “Your ex has one hell of a punch,” was all he murmured.

                “I’m sorry…”

                He nodded his head, accepting her apology. “It’s whatever; I probably deserved it anyway.” He wiped at his nose. “But why are you here? It’s really late and you should be with your dad or… wherever you live…”

                “That’s the issue. I…I don’t have anywhere to go…” She found herself averting her eyes when he stared at her like she had just sprouted another head. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. _I always told him I’d never come crawling to him for help, yet here we are._           

                He sighed and for a moment she thought that he’d close the door in her face, but he took the opposite approach. “I’ll get you some dry clothes. Come on.”

                Mina shuffled into his place, suddenly finding it foreboding. She felt guilty about everything she had caused, and she hated that she couldn’t fix any of it.

                “Why’re you standing over here still?” Baekhyun seemed to appear from nowhere as he tossed a hand towel over her head. “Come on, it’s warmer over here.” He led her down the hall to his bathroom. “I’ve got clothes in there and a towel. Just… make yourself at home.” He gave her a curt smile before disappearing back down the hallway.

                _I’m so glad to have him._ Mina smiled as she headed into the bathroom and closed the door. _And I sure hope he doesn’t try to come in here with me._ She sighed as she remembered how he always liked to prank her during or after showers. She thought he would’ve grown up by now, but she could never be sure. Baekhyun would always be a child at heart.

* * *

 

                “What took you so long,” Baekhyun playfully jeered as soon as Mina walked into the living room in a clean change of his clothes.

                She smiled at him, enjoying his good mood, but she found she couldn’t quite match it. She was still upset about Sehun even though now she was with the man she wanted to be with.

                “I forgot how good you look in my clothes,” he commented as she sat down beside him. “You even smell like me.” He dramatically breathed against her neck.

                “Baekhyun, knock it off.” She gently pushed him away.

                “You looked like a wet kitten when I let you in.” He laughed under his breath.

                “You looked like you had seen a ghost,” she countered as she shoved his arm playfully.

                “I just didn’t expect to see you… That’s all.”

                “What do you mean?”

                A big sigh escaped his lips. “After everything that happened I didn’t know what to think. Everyone was so upset and there were so many emotions…” His eyes met hers. “I didn’t hear from you in days. I didn’t know what happened to you, and I was scared.”

“Scared of what?” she asked quietly.

                “That I’d lose you again.” He shifted his gaze away to play with a loose thread on his shirt. He lowered his voice before speaking again. “Do you… Do you think what we did was right?”  

                The question took her a little off guard. _Of course it wasn’t_ right _what we did to Sehun._ “Do you?”

                He shrugged. “I struggle with it every day. I love you so much but I love Sehun too, and just seeing him going around like he died on the inside is heart breaking. He doesn’t even talk to me anymore… he avoids me.”

                “I’m sorry…” Mina didn’t know what else to say. “Maybe we should’ve never… done this?”

                “Yeah… but we can’t fix it now, unless we could turn back time. But that’s impossible.” A sad smile lined his lips. “So I guess we can take just one day at a time?” His eyes finally met hers.

                She nodded her head in agreement, resting her head on his shoulder. He smelled the same way he did several years ago, like her favorite cologne and a little bit of mint.

                He was silent for a moment. “You’re staying the night, right?”

                “Yes.”

                She felt his lips graze her forehead before he kissed her. “We can finally have that sleepover your dad would never let us have.”

                _I love his mood._ Mina let out a quiet laugh before she lifted her head from his shoulder. Even though it seemed like the world was falling apart, he always managed to make her smile.

                “Why’re you looking at me like that?” He chuckled.

                “No reason.” She brushed her fingers through his black hair. His eyes remained glued on hers until she leaned in to kiss his nose tip first, and then to give him a peck on the lips.

                “I think there was a reason.” His voice was low and silky as he pressed his lips against hers again. “Come on, we can finish this in bed,” he whispered. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip prior to nipping her playfully and pulling away.

                _He’s such a tease._ His fingers ghosted her thighs as he beckoned her to follow him to his bedroom. She wanted his body against hers again, she wanted his hands and lips all over her body, and most importantly she wanted him to fuck her so hard she forgot Sehun’s existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and thank you even more for your comments/kudos! What do you all think will happen next? Do you all think Mina and Baekhyun will escape with a happy relationship? Discuss if you want, and I'll see you all next update! :)


	10. Chapter 10

                “You never told me you were moving in.”

                “That was the very first thing I told you last night.” Mina smirked as she followed Baekhyun into his apartment.

                “The very first thing you said to me last night was about my face.” He took a brief second to turn and purse his lips at her. “It’ll heal, and the makeup artists can cover it so don’t even worry about it.”

                “Who said anything about your face?”

                Baekhyun chuckled under his breath. “Because it’s _so_ obvious. You've been staring at my eye ever since we woke up this morning.”

                “Well yeah, it is an eye sore.” She laughed at his scowl.

                “Ha! Very funny!” He dropped a box containing her belongs from Sehun’s place in front of the foot of his bed, making dust fly.

                “You’re such a girl. Your makeup artists can cover it like you said.”

                “I guess.” He didn’t sound convinced as he leaned down to open the box.

                _That part of him hasn’t changed at all._ She took the first set of clothes he handed her, barely hearing his instructions on how to hang her clothes in his closet.

                “… All of your things can be on the left side, and don’t mix any with mine! And don’t try to go stealing my jackets either.”

                “Why on earth would I do that?” Mina strode into his walk in closet, peering around at his various clothes. _These don’t even look that expensive._ She narrowed her eyes at his choice of clothing, wondering why he didn’t splurge on buying high end clothing. _He has so much money. What’s he doing with all of it?_

                “Because _somehow_ some of my jackets would always end up at your place. Remember?” He sung the last word of his sentence out.

                Mina giggled as she started to hang her clothes up. Baekhyun never minded lending her anything of his, but sometimes she did keep his things for a little longer than needed.

                “Woah… you never told me you had this side to you…”

                Mina poked her head out of the closet to find Baekhyun holding up a pair of lace panties. Her cheeks flushed pink when she remembered how she had dragged Sehun into the lingerie store to pick them out, but what was even more embarrassing was Baekhyun smirking at them and running his fingers over the fabric.

                “Baekhyun, put those down!” She came rushing out of the closet like a whirlwind.

                “But they’re really cute and sexy.” He easily dodged her. “I saw you had more like this too. I like the white ones with the pink bow the most, Mina. You should wear them next time we do _it_.”

                Mina blushed an even deeper shade as she finally grabbed him by his arm. She pulled him harder than she meant to, knocking him off balance and into her. They both fell onto the floor with Baekhyun on top of her.

                “I knew you always liked bottom,” he teased as he supported himself with his hands.

                “Who was the one that was a moaning mess when he was on bottom?” She quirked an eyebrow, already tired of his childish games.

                “I think that was you, sweetheart.” He smirked. _“Faster! Right there, Baekhyun! You’re sooooooooo good.”_ He mocked her in the highest voice he could manage.

                She opened her mouth in retort as she slapped his chest, but his phone ringing stopped her.

                “Perfect timing.” He sighed.

                “I couldn’t agree more.”

                He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance.

                “Answer it. It might be important.” She raised her eyebrows again.

                “Yeah. Yeah, I know.” A sly smile lined his lips. “I’ll be back so we can finish this.” He winked before standing to his feet. He then grasped her hand in his, helping her stand as well. He kissed the back of her hand in apology, knowing that he had annoyed her, before leaving the room to answer his still ringing cell phone.

                 “Jerk,” she groaned under her breath as she wiped the back of her hand off on her jeans. She picked her panties up, grabbed the others from the box, and stashed them in a drawer in his dresser he told her she could share with him. She started to head back to the box to finish putting her things away before he came back, but suddenly the desire to eavesdrop on his conversation overwhelmed her.

                “Yeah… I know. I’ll be there on time…” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I know how to count! Don’t talk to me like I’m dumb!”

                _Is he talking to his manager or another member?_ Mina frowned as she walked closer to the door to hear him better.

                “I didn’t and I _won’t_. Besides, it’s none of your business what I’m doing in my personal life. I’m with you to perform, not to make everyone happy. That’s impossible…!”

                _Things are not as they seem_. _He was being super happy earlier because he wanted to hide this._ Mina stepped away from the door, understanding where this conversation was going. She headed towards her box of belongings, and began shuffling through things, trying to do anything to distract her from overthinking his conversation. It seemed like mere seconds later when Baekhyun’s hand landed on her shoulder.

                “Sorry about that. It was a work call.” He looked distracted as he cleared his throat. “So… how long are you going to be staying with me?”      

                “Are you still afraid of commitment?” She leaned on the bed so she could peer up at him.

                He baulked. “Where did that come from!? When was _I_ ever scared?”

                “The high school you was deathly afraid of a certain word called _marriage_.” Mina laughed, trying to keep the mood up even though she was scared of what he was just discussing on the phone.

                “Well… that was the old me.” He briefly made eye contact with her. “You’re just staying with me for a few weeks, not forever.”

                “You’re still scared.” She turned away from him, but he grabbed her wrist.

                “I was never afraid of love, baby.” He pulled her against him, his touch burning as he pressed his lips softly against hers. “It’s just sudden that we’re… doing this…”

                “You’re the one that said yes to me staying.” She smiled up at him.

                “I didn’t have any other choice. You made me do it.” He chuckled. “But Mina… There’s something I’ve got to tell you.”

                _Oh Lord. What is it now?_ She searched his brown eyes for an answer, but he still seemed to be slightly distracted.

                “I’ve got to go out of the country for a while for work. You know how it is. Don’t burn my place down while I’m away, OK?” He kissed her forehead. “And be a big girl, OK?”

                Mina pouted, but on the inside she knew he was right. He knew how much she hated being alone.

                “I’ll call you… and we can Facetime if you want.” His smile was not enough to make her feel better.

                “What if you get caught?”

                “Caught doing what?” He frowned in confusion.

                “With me.”

                “Us being together isn’t going to affect anything. _He’s_ not a concern right now. Let’s just focus on us right now. I’ll be fine, you’ll be fine… _we’ll_ all be fine.”

                _That phone call didn’t sound like_ fine _to me._ “If you say so.”

                He sighed, detecting her distrust. “I promise. It’ll be fine. Trust me, OK Mimi?”

                She nodded her head yes as he fondly ruffled her hair and brought her in for a hug.

                “I would never hurt you like he did,” he whispered against her hair, and Mina was too stunned to move.

                _How did he…?_ She looked up at him when he stepped back, completely bewildered he would know anything she and Sehun had gone through. For all he knew, she and Sehun had a _perfect_ relationship. He didn’t know about the fights they had or how immature Sehun could be. _Did Sehun… tell him? Why would he even bother though, or maybe Baekhyun is just talking?_

                “I promise I’ll call you when I’m away. So keep your phone handy.” He rested his hands on her waist.

                “When are you leaving?” She placed her hands over his wrists, rubbing circles over his skin.

                “Tomorrow.”

                _Such a short notice._ Her heart dropped.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he apologized after her lack of response. He kissed the top of her head. “I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get back. Maybe I can get you some ice cream from that place you always liked?”

                “That would be nice,” she half-heartedly said and Baekhyun hummed, squeezing her closer to his body.

                “It’s only a few weeks, Mimi. It’ll fly by. Keep this place up for me until I get back, OK?”

                She nodded against his chest, hating that tonight would be the last night she’d get to spend with him. They still had so much catching up to do, and it was nearly impossible to squeeze in time to talk to him while he was touring. Now that she knew things weren’t going well with the other men on his job, she had even more reasons to worry about him.

                _Please keep that promise._ She squeezed his hands. _Please._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So surprise update haha! My classes have started and with my new schedule, I'm bumping the schedule for this story. Now it'll be posted _every Tuesday_ , unless something happens. Thank you all for reading and as always thank you for your kudos/comments/subs/bookmarks. Means a lot to me to know you guys like this story, and I really like hearing your thoughts about what'll happen next or how you're feeling about the story as well! I'll see you all next update :)


	11. Chapter 11

                Baekhyun kept his promises all the way until his last few tour dates. His calls were fewer and farther between, and sometimes shorter even. He rarely Facetimed Mina, and his texts began to dwindle as well. Six years ago Mina would’ve told herself he was just busy, but now that she was older she knew something else was a factor, especially when he got back home from the airport after the final tour date for the first leg of the tour.

                Melancholy. It was a word Mina would never use to describe Baekhyun, but for the first time today she found herself using it.       

                He was tense, too focused on his thoughts, and reluctant to share them with her at all. She knew something was very wrong, but she was too scared to ask him why he was so distant and clearly upset.

                _He left weeks ago with a huge smile on his face. What happened?_ Mina studied him as he pretended to read a magazine in the chair cattycorner from her. She replayed in her mind their first conversation in person after he returned.

_“Hey.” She smiled at him as she opened the front door._

_“Hey…” He sounded tired. Mina could understand that, but she didn’t expect him to abruptly brush by her to enter the apartment. No hug, no kisses, not even a simple I missed you or an I love you. Nothing._

Weird. Maybe he’s having a bad morning. _She brushed it off as she closed the door and followed him. “How was your flight?”_

_“Boring,” he grumbled as he tossed his work bag on the nearest chair._

_She nodded, watching as he kicked his shoes off and sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck before popping it._

                He’s not going to ask how I’ve been? _She watched him walk away and plop himself on the sofa._

_“Are you feeling OK? Can I get you anything?”_

_“I’m fine. And no.” He snuggled into the cushion of the sofa, shutting his eyes and shutting her out as well._

If anything I know that fine means he’s not OK. _Mina pursed her lips as she studied him._ He looks thinner than when I last saw him. And why is he wearing a long sleeve in the summer? He’s probably over heated. _She sighed. What was he up  to?_

_Something’s not right with him._ She narrowed her eyes as he flipped a page in the magazine, gluing his eyes to a picture of some model. Her Baekhyun was always spry and playful; where was his spunk?

                “Do you need something?” Baekhyun barely looked up at her even though he caught her staring.

                She fidgeted in her seat, finding him to be suddenly intimidating. She took in a deep breath before, “It’s nothing,” fell out of her mouth.

                Baekhyun raised an eyebrow but said nothing more as he flipped another page.

                _Damn it, why did I say that?_ She let out another sigh, this time making him lift his head from the magazine.

                “You obviously have something on your mind. What is it?”

                “You’re just… quiet… that’s all. It’s not like you to be so quiet.”

                He shrugged, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing. “I’m fine. I’m just really tired, Mina.”

                She narrowed her eyes again, watching as he rubbed his right shoulder and subtly grimaced in pain. Then it hit her. When she was FaceTiming him a few weeks ago she noticed something on his skin in that area. At first she thought it was a round Band-Aid or maybe his team had applied false tattoos for his show, but now she was beginning to think it actually was an injury.

                “OK. I’ll be quiet and let you rest.” She stood to her feet, noticing his eyes did not follow her as usual as she left the room.

                _What’s happened to him?_ She leaned against their shared bedroom wall and bit her lip. _What did_ they _do to him?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another surprise update, even if it is a bit short. Thank you all for reading, and thank you for your comments/kudos/subs/bookmarks! I really appreciate your support :). Next update, some things may intensify so get ready! As always, I'll see you all next update~


	12. Chapter 12

                Baekhyun’s next round of tours started just a week later. This time in China and Japan before everything wrapped up in Seoul. Mina kept up with news on Baekhyun, watching his performances almost religiously since his lack of communication with her continued. She noticed he had a slight limp at the show in Japan, but he waved it off as a waist injury from getting too _excited_ during certain choreographies.

                Mina still knew it was something else though. He was fatigued, his eyes didn’t have the same shine in them, and he was on the brink of tears at the last show in China. She noticed the other members did not comfort him like they did the others, in fact, they rarely spoke to him. The fans still treated him the same, and Mina appreciated that.

                On the night after his last encore show in Seoul, Mina had took it upon herself to make an extravagant dinner for them both. It was impossible for them to go out and eat, and she wanted him to know he was loved and somehow make him feel better.

                She prepared his favorite dish, and kept it warm in the oven until she heard the front door open, signaling his arrival. She stood to her feet to greet him, but the air around him was different. His aura was anything but normal.

                “Hey, babe.” She greeted him as usual, watching as he started his usual routine of taking his shoes off and stretching.

                “Hey.” He met her eyes only briefly.

                “Congratulations on a successful tour.” She tried to stay upbeat and happy, but she saw the sadness written in his eyes. “I have a surprise for you!”

                “Mina… baby… I’m tired.” His response was dry, aching.

                “But you’re hungry too, right?”

                “Yeah…”

                “Just come in the kitchen. Then you can rest.” She took his hand, but it was limp in hers. She dropped his hand to get the food from the oven and place it on the counter. “I made your favorite,” she said happily, trying to ignore his bad mood.

                He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Mina… we need to talk.”

                She froze. _Oh no…_

                The words seemed to be hard for him to produce as he stopped mid-sentence to tangle his fingers in his hair. It was then she saw the outline of a purplish blue bruise right below his wrist. She frowned, remembering a very similar injury on his shoulder on the same side of his body.

                “Mina… I just can’t…” he sputtered before she could ask him about the wound.

                “You can’t what?”

                “I can’t… keep seeing you. We can’t be together.” He kept his gaze averted from hers as he dropped his arm.

                She couldn’t help but laugh under her breath in surprise, but her heart felt like breaking. “Baekhyun… what are you saying…?”

                He looked so hurt Mina thought her heart would break. “I want to break up with you.”

                “But… why…?” Her voice nearly dropped to a whisper. “Baekhyun, we have _everything-_ ”

                “We have nothing.” He sighed. “Mina, I have to hide you not just from my fans, but from my friends, from my job, from my family… do you know how _hard_ that is?” His voice cracked. “I love you so much, but this relationship… it’s not healthy.”

                “Where is this coming from? You _never_ had to hide me from anyone. We’re fine. You’re over reacting-”

                “We’re not!” He suddenly snapped, his voice becoming deeper. “You don’t know half of the stuff that’s going on when you’re not around!”

                “If you _told_ me then I would! We’re supposed to communicate with one another! That’s what a relationship is!”

                “Don’t tell me what a _relationship_ is, Mina!”

                _Is he seriously stooping that low?_ She flinched, but stood her ground. “But you haven’t been communicating with me at all about your problems! That’s what I’m here for! All you’ve been doing is pouting around like you lost your best friend! What’s going on Baekhyun?”

                He paused. “I… I can’t…”

                “Does it… have to do with your arm?” she asked quietly as she walked around the kitchen island to approach him.

                His eyes widened before he turned on his heel. “That’s none of your business.”

                “You know I’m always here for you! Why won’t you let me help you!?” She grabbed his wrist to stop him and he cried out in pain. “Baekhyun…”

                “I’m fine!” Every muscle in his body tensed, and she knew he wanted to push her away but he couldn’t because he was afraid of hurting her.

                “You’re not!” She rolled the sleeve of his white button up shirt up to his elbow. She pressed her lips into a thin line at the sight of the bruise.

                _It’s bigger than I thought…_ She glanced up at his face, but he still refused to make eye contact with her. “Baekhyun, what’s going on? Talk to me. And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

                He sighed, a look of utter defeat crossing his face.

                “Are they hitting you?”

“I…”

                “Yes, or no?”

He made eye contact with her for a split second before looking away. “It’s a stage injury. I tripped and fell going down some stairs and hit my wrist on the handrail. My shoulder hit the stair. It’s nothing. Stop worrying about me.” He snatched his arm away from her, wincing in pain. She heard him whimper before he stormed off to their bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

                She wanted to yell after him, but he was so closed off she knew she’d get nowhere. Instead she plopped down on the sofa, wishing she could talk to anybody about what was happening with her boyfriend, but there was no one…

                _Wait… Yes there is._ She raised her head from her hands. She had played with fire this entire month, she knew it burned, but she needed answers and there was only one person she could talk to.

                _Oh Sehun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! Do you all have any ideas on what's going with Baek? Any ideas on where this is going to go next? Why do you think Mina would even bother contacting Sehun after everything that went down? Discuss below if you want~  
> As always, thank you all for your kudos/comments/subs/bookmarks and thank you for investing your time in reading this! I hope it makes you happy <3 I'll see you all next update! :)


	13. Chapter 13

                Mina didn’t know why she was doing it, but she needed answers and she needed them now. While Baekhyun was still sound asleep at home, she headed out to Sehun's place early the next morning. Walking up to his floor seemed like a treacherous journey, but she steeled her resolve and finally rung his doorbell when she reached his room. She stepped away from the door, not wanting him to see her through the peephole. She knew if he saw her he’d never open it. When Mina heard the familiar click of the door unlocking and saw it swinging open she walked in front of the doorway. When Sehun’s eyes met hers, she knew the world would come caving in.

                “I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again,” he spat as he tightened his grip on the door, turning his knuckles white.

                _I knew this would happen, but at least he hasn’t slammed the door in my face._ “I know, but this is different-”

                “What? Are you coming over to rub your new relationship in my face?”

                “No!? Sehun when did I ever-”

                “He’s always calling you, and I can hear him talking to you through the hotel walls! He’s always so happy and giddy when he’s texting you too.” He snorted. “Just leave before I call the police!”

                “Sehun, wait-”

                “You have until I count to three to get your ass-”

                _I’ve got one shot to make him talk._ “It’s Baekhyun. Something’s wrong,” she said dramatically.

                 His frown deepened. “Stop trying to play games-”

                “No! I mean it, Sehun! He’s coming home with these bruises all over his arms and who knows where else!”

                His eyebrows dripped in concern and his grip loosened on the door. “What… What do you mean?”

                “You know what I mean! You all are picking on him, aren’t you?”

                “What the fuck, Mina? I admit I was the one that gave him the black eye, but we don’t go around beating each other up!”

                “Then answer this question: Do you remember him telling you about a really bad fall he had? Did you see him fall at a show?”

                “No.” Sehun shrugged before looking puzzled. “He and Jongdae room together, and I haven’t heard anything from him either...”

                Mina let out a sigh, combing her fingers through her hair. Nothing was adding up, so she knew one of the men were lying to her. She glanced up into Sehun’s eyes, knowing he wouldn’t be the one to lie to her even if he hated her. Baekhyun was a notorious liar, while Sehun was the most honest person she knew.

                “Do you know of anyone or anything that could’ve happened to him?”

                “No. I swear I didn’t do any-”

                “I’m not blaming you, Sehun. I know you didn’t do it.”

                His eyes lit up for a brief instant, and for a moment Mina saw the man that once loved her but his expression quickly darkened. “Then why are you here?” he asked in an accusing tone.

                “Because I need you to _help_ me!”

                “Help you!?” He laughed in her face. “After everything?! Really, Mina!? He’s _your_ responsibility now. Remember?” He was grumbling under his breath, but Mina could see he was still concerned.

                “Just answer me this one last thing Sehun: Do you know of anything that’s going on with him? Anyone that might be doing this to him?”

                Sehun sucked on his bottom lip. “Well…” He sighed. “I can’t say I do…”

                _Damn it, he looked like he was about to spill right then. Unless he really doesn’t know?_ “OK… thanks Hun... Sehun, I mean. I’m sorry I bothered you about this. You won’t see me again.”

                He simply nodded, his eyes sweeping her face before he closed the door on her.

                _Well that went better than I thought, but I still don’t know anything._ She let out a defeated sigh as she began to head out of the building and back to her car.

_Maybe I can get Baekhyun to talk today? I hope he’s even home when I get back. He should be awake by now._ She opened her car door, sat down, and started the engine. _How am I ever going to get down to the bottom of this?_

                “Mina! Wait!”

                She stopped herself from putting her car into gear when she heard someone calling her name in a muffled voice. She looked out of her window, surprised to find Sehun had come after her.

                He paused to catch his breath as she rolled her window down to hear him better. “He’s been coming out of practices way later than the rest of us.”

                “What?”  She frowned, still a little confused why he was still talking to her. _Doesn’t he hate me?_

                “I mean... It’s not normal for him to be coming home so late, right? That’s what I’ve noticed...”

                _He’s actually helping me out?  And that is true. Baekhyun had been coming home a lot earlier in the past, but he just told me he had a new routine he had to learn._ “I... Thanks Sehun.”

                He simply nodded, giving her a once over before turning away again.

                Mina watched his retreating form disappear from view. She wrung her hands on the steering wheel, piecing what she knew about Baekhyun’s schedule together in her head.

                _He has vocal lessons tomorrow night. I should go in and check up on him. Maybe I can see what’s going on and help him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise, Sehun actually helped her out. Do you think he has any motives behind his behavior, or do you think he's the only good guy in this story? Discuss if you want!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and thank you even more for leaving your kudos/comments or even subbing/bookmarking. It means a lot to get any kind of feedback/support from you guys! As always, I'll see you all next update! :)


	14. Chapter 14

Mina couldn’t stop checking the clock on her phone as she sat in her car waiting for Baekhyun to get out of practice. She knew it was risky and she could get caught by him or his security, but it was important to take the risk versus staying silent. She _needed_ to help him.

She saw several of the other members leave the studio nearly an hour ago. She counted six of them, but she knew that three were missing.

 _Sehun. Baekhyun. And that really tall one._ She checked the time on her phone again. _11:36 PM._

She pursed her lips as she continued to wait. _Sehun wouldn’t lie to me, would he? He wouldn’t have told me what he told me last time if he was the one doing this... right?_

Just as her suspicions began to rise, she heard voices coming from the entrance of the building.

“It’s so weird isn’t it?” Sehun’s soft voice reached her ears.

“You shouldn’t worry about him. Remember what he did to you?”

“Yeah but... I can’t stop thinking about either of them, Chanyeol.” His sigh was loud enough for Mina to hear. “Did she ever love me? Did she _really_ use me to get back with him? I mean… for the longest she refused to even go see me perform, so she _knew_ he was there. Why did she suddenly change her mind? Was I not good enough for her…?” He paused, his voice getting further and further away. “And it’s crazy what she told me yesterday. I haven’t seen Baekhyun get hurt while he was with us. Do you know what’s going on?”

“Sehun, you’re over thinking this, and why are you still talking to her?” Chanyeol sounded extremely annoyed. “If I was a girl, I’d want you as my boyfriend. You’re so loyal, sweet, and caring… She was crazy to pick Baekhyun over you. He’s so annoying and selfish! So quit worrying about them. Besides, doesn’t one of the Red Velvet members like you anyway? What’s her name? She’s been sending you all kind of signals, and talking about you on TV. Why don’t you-”

“Because I can’t stop thinking about… Mina… no matter how much it hurts. You don’t get what it feels like to be so in love with someone to only have that taken away.”

Mina’s heart sunk as their conversation faded out of her hearing range. _Was that why he caught up with me yesterday? He still cares..._

Before she could get caught up in Sehun's remaining feelings for her, she heard a new deeper and louder voice.

“You think you’re so special don’t you?” A man sneered.

“I never said that.” Baekhyun suddenly appeared in view.

Mina swallowed, hoping they wouldn’t notice a strange car parked on the street. She ducked lower in her seat in case they looked her way.

“Actions speak louder than words, Byun. Look, we discussed this before and this is the last time I’ll tell you: You’re running this group into the ground.”

“It’s not my fault!” Baekhyun snapped. “I can’t control other people’s feelings!”

“Look at you! Trying to talk back to your senior.” The man slapped Baekhyun before grabbing his chin harder than he needed to. “I thought we taught you better than that?”

Mina sunk lower in her seat when the man looked all around before speaking again. “I’m going to tell you one last time: Get rid of that bitch or we will.”

“She’s not a bitch, and like I keep telling you, I can’t control how the others feel about me. If you want to run a PR stunt find someone else.”

 _Shit…_ _Baekhyun you talk too much._ Mina held in a sigh as the man smirked at him.

“You’re lucky I’m not allowed to hit your face, pretty boy. A least not hard enough to leave a mark. Besides, your face is the only thing that’s making you money right now anyway,” he growled. “If you haven’t noticed, even your fans are turning on you now. I guess there’s just no one that likes you in the end, huh? Two-faced, liar, fake, attention seeking slut, the list can go on, Byun.”

The next set of events happened so fast that Mina was sure if she blinked she would’ve missed it. She bit her lip when the man’s hand suddenly wrapped around Baekhyun’s neck, and he lifted him off of the ground.

“You brought this upon yourself,” the man hissed as Baekhyun struggled to get out of his grip. “Find a way to mend things with the others, or things are going to get ugly really fast.”

Mina could do nothing but sit and watch as her boyfriend struggled to breathe and the man grinned up at him. She sat in silence, forcing herself to not run out of the car when the man tossed Baekhyun aside like a rag doll. She heard him cry in pain when he hit the ground. The man chuckled and walked down the sidewalk away from her, but Mina stayed hidden until the man was out of view.

 _I’ve got to go save him._ She quietly opened her car door and made it down the sidewalk as quickly and quietly as she could.

“Baekhyun?” She called his name softly when she made it around the corner.

He flinched at her voice, his eyes swiftly meeting hers. “What are you doing here?” His voice was laced with pain while he held his upper arm.

“It doesn’t matter. Are you OK?” She looked him over and noticed there was blood slowly seeping between his fingers. “Your arm-”

“I’m fine!” He winced when she reached out to remove his hand from his arm.

“You’re not fine,” she hissed out of impatience. His shirt was torn, and she noticed a metal guard rail behind him he must’ve hit when the man threw him. “Fucking jerk…” She growled under her breath. “Just… come on, Baek.” She helped him to his feet and guided him to the passenger side of her car.

He mumbled profanities under his breath as Mina started her car up, buckled him in, and then buckled herself in.

“Here, take this. Wrap it around your arm.” She grabbed an old scarf from her back seat and handed it to him.

“Mina... I’m OK-”

“Just take it, Baek.” She shoved the scarf harder into his chest than she meant to.

 _Just calm down and drive. I know he’s being unbearable, but just relax._ She put the car into drive and started heading back to his place in silence as he wrapped the scarf around his arm to stop the bleeding.

“Thanks for... Thanks for saving me back there.” Baekhyun’s voice was so quiet Mina barely heard him over the car’s engine.

“It’s nothing. That’s what I’m here for.” She bit her lip when they stopped at a red light. “So... Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?”

“… Did you see everything?”

“Yeah.”

He let out a sigh. “I’ll tell you what’s up when we get home. I don’t feel like talking right now.”

“You promise?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, but I-”

“Was only trying to protect you. I know.” She patted his thigh and he flinched. “We can talk after I take care of you.”

A hint of a smile tugged on his lips. “Thanks, Mimi. I’m glad you haven’t changed at all since high school.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You always took care of me when I was sick. And you’d most of the time...” He took in a sharp breath. “…help me with my homework. And you helped me get laid all through high school.”

“Baekhyun!”

“But most importantly, you helped me fall in love with the woman of my dreams.”

Mina glanced over at him as he flashed her an endearing but pained smile, and she couldn’t help wonder how they ended up like this. He was a hurt man, but he was still beautiful. The way his eyes glinted with all the adoration he had for her nearly made her heart stop.

“I love you too. Now stop talking and rest. We have a lot to talk about later.”

“Yeah,” he drawled, studying her face for a moment longer before he winced and held his arm again.

 _What are they doing with you Baekhyun? She_ tried to focus on the road when the light turned green, but she was so worried about Baekhyun it was nearly impossible.

_I just hope we can sort this out._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and sorry for the delayed update. I had some things to come up that I have now sorted out, so thank you all for your patience! But... at least we all know now what's been going on with Baekhyun. Any ideas on what will happen next?
> 
> As always, thank you all for your comments, kudos, subs and bookmarks! I'll see you all next update :)


	15. Chapter 15

                “Do you want to take a bath together?” was the first thing Mina asked after she helped Baekhyun into their apartment.

                Baekhyun’s cheeks flushed pink while he sat on the bed, contradicting his usual flirty demeanor.

                “It’ll be relaxing.” She removed the scarf from his arm gingerly. After treating his injuries, she knew he needed to relax more than anything.

                “Uh... Yeah,” he finally agreed when she started undressing him anyway.

                _How much has he been through?_ She gently removed his shirt, and instantly noticed the fading bruises on his shoulders and arms. There was also an older scar running below his left nipple and stopping just at his sternum.

                She didn’t ask questions as they looked one another in the eyes. It was then she noticed he had been watching her this whole time, trying to read her face as she discovered each new affliction to his body.

                “Thanks for sticking up for me back there,” she finally said; her hands now softly holding his waist.

                “You know I couldn’t let him talk about you like that.” He pushed her robe open with one hand, eyes traveling her nearly naked body in one swift motion.

                “I always told you your mouth would get you in trouble.” She gripped the waistband of his sweatpants and tugged them down his thighs. She noticed yet another bruise along his inner thigh just peeking out from the leg of his boxers.

                “Your mouth gets me in trouble.” He suggestively raised a brow at her. Mina knew he wanted to say more, but he flinched when her hand brushed another injured area below his knee.

                “I’m sorry they did this to you.” She stood to her feet and helped him towards the bathroom “I’m so sorry I didn’t know sooner-”

                “No, it’s my fault for not telling you what was going on.”

                She nodded her head in acknowledgement before slipping his boxers down his thighs. “They really tried to hurt you… didn’t they?” She gently apologized as he bit his lip and whimpered in pain at the friction his boxers were creating against the biggest bruise along his inner thigh. “I’m _so_ sorry, Baekhyun.” She grimaced at the huge purple and blue spot, knowing exactly where they were aiming based off of the proximity it was to his balls. Without another word, she led him over to the warm bathwater she had prepared for him.  

                Baekhyun groaned when he hit the water. “Don't apologize. It’s my fault,” he repeated.

                “It’s clearly mine from what that man said today.” She dropped her robe, loving how Baekhyun watched her every motion. His pink lips curled into a pained smirk when she finally removed her last few undergarments and slipped into the water with him.

                “So tell me what’s going on.” She settled herself between his legs.

                “I’m the reason EXO is falling apart.” He began to play with her hair as she rested her head against his chest.

                “You know that’s not true, right?”

                 He paused. “Well, Sehun hasn’t been himself since you two broke up, the other members pretty much hate me, and it really shows on TV. It hurts our ratings, and it started to hurt our sales on tour.”

                “Have they been hurting you?”

                Baekhyun paused again. “Yeah... It’s mostly verbal with the members... No one has hit me except when Sehun punched me in the face, and Kyungsoo and I really got into it. He just shoved me though. Everything else physical has been from my manager. He’s been… beating me.”

                “Is that the man that hit you today?” She ran her fingers along the biceps of his uninjured arm.

                He nodded. “He’s been telling me to give you up for weeks. And I tried to stand my ground, but I caved…” His voice cracked. “It was too much. I didn’t think he’d resort to… what he was doing.”

                “Is that why... You told me you wanted to break up?”

                “Yeah... I love you so much Mina, but I can’t put myself or you in this kind of danger. I just wanted to protect you no matter how much it hurt both of us. He could hit me all he wanted, but I didn’t want him coming after you and that was the only way I could think of to save you.”

                _I see…_ She moved her hand down to stroke his thigh. She didn’t _want_ to break up with Baekhyun. What they had was nearly perfect. They were in love again, he was happier than she had ever seen him, and she was happier than she had ever been too. Yeah, he did dumb stuff that did annoy her, but she still wanted to be with him. She didn’t and couldn’t understand why his manager wanted him to break up with her. Baekhyun wasn’t in control of the other members’ feelings, and he wasn’t the sole reason EXO’s ratings were down or the tickets weren’t selling like they used to. From what she noticed, the fans were even more supportive of him once they noticed the other members leaving him out.

                _What we did to Sehun was horrible though. They have every right to be mad, but they can’t put their hands on Baekhyun._ She sighed, finally voicing her thoughts. “There’s got to be another way though, Baekhyun.”

                “And what would that be?” His dry laughter echoed in the bathroom. “I don’t want to give up on us and I know you don’t either, but we don’t have any other choice-”

                “There’s always other options.” She turned her head slightly to look at his face. “He doesn’t know we’re living together, right?”

                “No… As far as everyone knows you moved out of Sehun’s place and live on your own now.”

                “Then lie to him and tell him we ended it.” She stroked his cheek. “I need to protect you Baekhyun, and I need to take care of you while your arm gets better… While _you_ get better.”

                She felt Baekhyun’s thighs tense around her, signaling his disagreement. “Mina...”

                “Who’s going to take care of you Baekhyun when you’re hurt?” She cupped his face with her hands. “Who?

                “Who’s going to spend hours awake wondering if you’re OK while they’re basically abusing you? No one else is standing up for you except me! I love you _so_ much, and I can’t have anything happening to you. What if things get worse? I need to be here for you. Just let me take care of you.”

                His expression softened and she was sure he might cry. “OK…”

                “Thanks, Bunny.” She leaned in to kiss his lips, finding a smile there at the childish nickname. “Don’t ever think I’m not here for you, OK?”

                He groaned into the kiss as she pulled his bottom lip between hers with her teeth. She wanted more of him, but she knew he was in no condition to continue this.           

                “We’ll think of something to get you out of this mess,” she simply said as she kissed the corner of his mouth. “Just rest in the meantime.”

                He nodded, sneaking in another kiss before she settled her body against his again. He brought one arm around her, holding her right beneath her breast as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

                “I love you, Mina.” His voice was barely audible despite how close they were.

                “I love you too.” She ran her thumb over one of the darkening bruises on his arm. She would do everything in her power to save him, but she wasn’t quite sure how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Did any of you guess correctly about who was hitting Baekhyun? What do you think Mina will do about this? Discuss if you want.  
> As always, thank you all for your kudos, comments, subs and bookmarks. I'll see you all next update :)


	16. Chapter 16

                “Good morning, babe.”

                Mina blinked awake at the sound of Baekhyun’s groggy voice beside her before she closed her eyes again. She didn’t want to get out of bed right now; she wanted to cuddle with Baekhyun for eternity.

                “Five more minutes?” She buried her face into the pillow as his arm tightened around her.

                “I have to leave in an hour.” Baekhyun breathed against her ear. “Wake up, love. I want to see your beautiful face before I have to go.”

                She forced back a smile, loving his 180-degree turn in mood after her talk with him last week. His injuries were healing well, and he conveyed to her he told his manager they had broken up the day after their bathtub talk.

                _“He was weirdly happy… Happy that I was unhappy.” Baekhyun rested his hand on Mina’s waist as they laid on his sofa together._

                _“Because he’s toxic. God, I can’t wait for your contract to end.”_

_“Who are you kidding?” He chuckled under his breath before kissing her exposed shoulder. “Just four more years.”_

Deep down inside Mina hated that her boyfriend had to remain in a contract for so long with such evil people and there was no way for him to end it. It soured all of her plans of staying together, and now she wasn’t quite sure if they could remain together if his manager found out again.

                _But Baekhyun’s so happy, he’s not coming home with any more injuries, and I can’t stand to lose him again._ She sat up to playfully push him off of herself. He squealed in mock pain prior to busting out in a fit of giggles.

                “It’s too early in the morning for this, Baek,” she playfully growled before dragging herself out of bed.

                He tossed the sheets off of his body and quickly followed her. “It’s never too early to see you, babe.” He teasingly smacked her ass as they slipped into the bathroom together. “Morning shower together?”

                “After you brush your teeth.”

                “Deal.” He smirked as he grabbed his toothbrush. “And… Uh… Can I… Do you want to go on a date with me later?”

                Mina froze on her path to grab her toothbrush. Going on public dates was something she never did with Sehun, and it was something she and Baekhyun hadn’t been on in years. It was just too risky to wind up getting caught.

                “I mean… not like a _real_ date.” A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “We can ride in my car to the river and… you know… just talk without being here all the time.”

                “Your car windows are tinted?”

                “Of course?” He scoffed as he squeezed toothpaste out of the tube and onto his brush. “I have lots of disguises too.”

                Mina snorted, not sure if this was such a great idea. “I guess…” she replied without really thinking.

                “Great!” Baekhyun leaned over to peck her cheek, leaving toothpaste on her skin.

                “BAEKHYUN!” She vigorously wiped her cheek clean.

                “Stop. You love it.” He dodged her well-aimed slap to his arm. “So tonight at nine, OK?” He asked after he finished brushing his teeth.

                She nodded her head, loving the way his fingers ghosted along her waist as he walked past her to grab his clothes for the day.

                _I like this Baekhyun so much better._ She smiled when she finished brushing her teeth as well. She didn’t know how long things could last like this, but she was hoping maybe forever.

 

* * *

                Mina let out a tired sigh as she plopped down in bed after a long day at work. Baekhyun texted her earlier to ask how she was doing, but other than that she heard nothing from her boyfriend. They had agreed to keep their conversations at work to a minimum so no one would figure out they were still seeing one another, but she hated how restricted their relationship felt.

                _I still wish I could hear from him more often._ She combed her fingers through her hair before unlocking her phone and immediately reading her emails, any texts, and then finally heading straight towards Instagram.

                A smile formed on her lips when she found an Instagram update from Baekhyun and a cute puppy someone must’ve brought to his job. Her smile grew even bigger at his caption: _Aeries are cute, just like this puppy_! _Make sure to take care of yourselves~_

                Mina adored how he treated his fans. Baekhyun was a sweet and gentle person behind all of that charisma, and he was excellent at letting people know that they were loved and cherished.

                _I miss him so much._ She closed out of the app, not daring to like his picture even though her account was set on private. _I miss when we used to go to the beach together and get ice cream. I miss when he’d run his fingers through my hair and kiss me like nothing else mattered under the setting sun… I miss the old Baekhyun that wasn’t worried about hiding his girlfriend._

She let out a tired sigh as sleep started to wrap her in its clutches. _I know he loves his job and singing more than anything, but I just miss having a real relationship..._

 

* * *

                Mina was jolted awake by her phone vibrating and ringing right next to her face. She quickly sat up and checked her phone to find the caller ID wasn’t displaying a name. Normally she’d ignore it, but she wasn’t thinking clearly since she had just woken up.

                “Hello?”

                “Mina!?”

                “Baekhyun?” She raised her brows at his concerned voice, and the sound of thunder and water dripping in the background. _Is he OK? What’s going on, and why is he calling me from outside?_

                “Get out of the house _now_.”

                Her heart dropped as she sat up in bed. “What? Why? Baekhyun, is everything OK?”

                “No… _No_. It’s not.” He took in a sharp breath. “Just listen to me! Get out of there, right now. I’ll explain later, and I’ll meet you in our spot. Keep your phone on you. I need to hear that you’re alright, OK baby?”

                Mina wanted to ask more, but he hung up on her before she could question him.

                _Great._ She took in a deep breath and looked around the room quickly to find something decent to wear outside. As soon as she hopped out of bed she heard the front door jiggle.

                _Shit…_ She made her way over to the closet and draped one of Baekhyun’s bigger jackets over her body. The rattling of the door became louder and more violent as she grabbed her phone from the bed and looked for somewhere to hide.

                 _There’s no way I can escape out of the window. I’m too high up._ She held her breath when she heard the door swing open and hit the wall with a loud bang. She quickly turned her phone on silent in case Baekhyun called again.

                “Do you really believe he got rid of her?” A man’s deep voice reached her ears as soon as she slid behind the wall by the door to the bedroom.

                “This is the only way to find out,” another man said and Mina recognized his voice right away.

                _His manager._ She swallowed as their footsteps receded to the kitchen. Swiftly, she peeked around the corner with shaky breaths. Once she determined they couldn’t see her, she took the opportunity to slip into the living room and closer to the exit.

                “He’s got some good food in here, doesn’t he?” One of the men chuckled as they began to rummage through the fridge.

                “At least he spends his money somewhat wisely.” The other man talked through a mouth full of food.

                “That’s the only thing he’s capable of doing well right now. Come on.”

                Mina held in her breath again as she hid behind a table in the living room as the two men headed towards the bedroom. She couldn’t stop thanking her boyfriend’s clever thinking to store her clothing and items in his storage room in case something like this did happen.

                _Does that mean… he knew all along something like this would occur?_ She bit the inside of her cheek as the men walked past her hiding spot.

                “It smells really fruity in here, doesn’t it? I don’t think he got rid of her.”

                “Wait just a minute. Baekhyun’s a very clean person. Don’t expect it to smell like Junmyeon and Sehun’s room.”

                Mina glanced around the table to find both of the men were fully inside of Baekhyun’s room. _It’s now or never._ She silently inched herself out of hiding, making sure to use all the furniture in the room to her advantage. She was just about to bolt for the door when an important conversation started.

                “So why is this such a big deal, Kim? He’s a grown man now that can handle his own scandals. We don’t need to babysit him. He, Sehun, and the other members can work this out amongst themselves.”

                “Because…”

                _I really want to hear this, but it’s not safe to be here. Who knows what they’ll do to me if they find me here._ She silently made her way over to the hall leading to the front door before exiting out of the wide open door.

                _What the hell is going on!?_ Mina held her breath as she took off running down the hall and down the nearest flight of stairs. She wasn’t sure if they heard her or not, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

                _I need to call Baekhyun._ She pulled the hood of his jacket over her head as she left the apartment complex and headed towards the meeting spot they always visited when they were kids. It was a very special place to both of them, filled with warm, welcoming memories, but Mina felt anything but warm and happy as the cold rain relentlessly fell from the sky and landed on her skin.

* * *

 

                _It’s felt like it’s been forever, but it’s only been twenty minutes._ Mina held in a sigh as she continued to wait for Baekhyun. She kept checking her phone over and over to only find the same thing: No new calls or messages from him.

                _Did they do something to him? I should really find somewhere else to stay before I catch a cold. I’m so worried about him! I hope he’s OK…_

                Just as she decided to head indoors, she saw a familiar black car quickly pull up to the curb. The car had just barely stopped before the driver’s door flew open and the person Mina wanted to see the most came rushing over to her.

                “Are you OK?” Baekhyun asked so quickly she barely caught each word.

                “What does it look like?!” She couldn’t help but snap at him. She was drenched through and through, she was freezing cold, and she was scared.

                “I’m so sorry, baby.” He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, pressing his equally as wet body against hers. “Come on, let’s go somewhere warm and dry.” He stroked her cheek before taking her hand in his. “I’ll explain everything when we get in the car.”

                “And what if they’re still there? What if they’re still waiting outside?”

                “They won’t be,” he said with such confidence it silenced her. “They left an hour ago. I watched.”

                She followed him, finding his hands to be colder than usual. He got the car door for her before hopping into his side.

                “I got some towels,” he said quietly as Mina locked the doors.

                “Thanks.” She took one of the bath towels from him and wrapped it around her body. _I’m so going to catch a cold._

“I’m really sorry again.” He was struggling to breathe as if he had just ran a marathon. “It’s just… my manager all of a sudden decided he wanted to check my place. I guess he really wanted to make sure you were gone.”

                “But _why_? Why is it such a big deal to him if I’m with you or not?”

                “We already discussed this…” Baekhyun grabbed another towel from the back to drape over her head. “You’re… or rather _we’re_ … messing with their money. They didn’t care when you were dating _him_ because he was happy, you… we… weren’t causing the group problems. Now that I’m with you everything is backwards. The guys and I aren’t really friends anymore, the fans noticed the rift in relationships, and we’re losing money.”

                “Jesus Christ Baekhyun, just _sue_ them-!”

                “I can’t! Things would just get worse. Do you want me to come back home the way I was a few weeks ago?” He pushed his wet hair out of his face as he turned to face her.             

                Mina pursed her lips as she wrapped the towel more snuggly around her body. “Of course not. It’s just… we need to do something.”

                There was a moment of silence while Baekhyun put the car into gear and started driving down the street. She wasn’t sure if he was agreeing with her by his silence or if he was merely ignoring her, but she welcomed the quiet. He didn’t speak again until they were halfway to his place.

                “I’m glad they didn’t find you. I’m not sure what they would’ve done to you,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry all of this is happening, baby.” He placed one hand over hers when they stopped at a red light.

                “Let’s just talk about it tomorrow, Baek. I’m just… too tired to process all of this right now.” She wanted to push his hand away, but the warmth he was radiating was comforting.

                “OK…” He fixed his eyes on the road, a sad look crossing his features. He began to pull his hand away but Mina stopped him.

                “Don’t. Please.”

                He frowned in confusion. “Mina-?”

                “Don’t leave me, OK?” She grasped his hand harder.

                His eyebrows knitted and for the first time in a long time she saw uncertainty pass through his brown eyes. He slowly intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand gently, his answer taking longer than Mina wanted.

                “I promise,” he finally whispered as the light turned green. He patted her thigh before placing both hands on the wheel and gently accelerating the car.

                _Why don’t I believe him this time?_ She studied his features for a few moments until lightning and a clap of thunder distracted her. _Why am I feeling like this?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Sorry for the slight delay in this update, but it's been a busy week for me and next week will be even busier. Next week the update day _may_ be slightly skewed again, but I'll try my hardest to still get the update out.  
>  With that news update out of the way, thank you all for being so patient and still supporting this story! It means a lot to me that you guys are still engaged and ready to read more. Thanks for all your comments/kudos/subs/bookmarks, and as always I'll see you next update!


	17. Chapter 17

                “So… what do we do next?” Mina asked as she and Baekhyun stood in his living room together the next day.

                “Lucky for us, they didn’t find any traces of you around. They didn’t ask me about any women’s clothing in my house or anything… But Mina… baby… you’re going to have to move out. I can’t risk them finding you and hurting you.”

                “But… then how are we ever going to see one another? You’re always so busy…” Her voice cracked.

                He averted his eyes, his answer seeming to take ages. “Maybe… Maybe we should call it… quits? Maybe it’s still not our time to be together yet.”

                “Baekhyun-”

                “Please, Mina… listen to me. I want to be with you too. You know how much I love you and how I want us to stay together, but I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m not ever leaving your life… I just think we need to just take a break. Until this all cools down.”

                “And when will that be?! When your contract ends in four years!?” She fought back tears. She knew what he was saying was right, but she couldn’t stand to lose him again.

                “Mina… No, please don’t cry.” He took a step closer to her. “It can be sooner than that; I just need to make sure I can keep you safe, OK baby?”

                She nodded just before he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She wanted to push him away, but she knew this would be maybe the last time they’d get to do this.

                “One more time?” He whispered against her lips as he pressed her against the wall. One hand roamed her ass while the other held her waist.

                She nodded again, running her tongue along his bottom lip. He allowed her to push her tongue into his mouth, tasting him and loving how his tongue wrestled with hers.

                After he pulled her panties off, she wrapped her legs around his waist, securing herself as he kissed her fervently. Her emotions were everywhere: from love to lust, to hatred back to love, to betrayal and then heartache… She didn’t want Baekhyun, but at the same time she still wanted him.

                She felt the metal of his belt buckle slide against her inner thigh; the sound of the fabric of his jeans meeting the floor seemed to be louder than his sloppy kisses or their labored breathing.

                “Promise me you won’t cry.” He breathed against her neck, brushing his tip against her wet entrance. “Not now, or when I’m gone.”

                She didn’t respond to him, and only wrapped her legs and arms around him tighter when he pushed into her. They both gasped, Baekhyun’s more out of pleasure and hers out of slight pain at the sudden intrusion. He connected his lips to her shoulder, leaving soft kisses as he waited for her to adjust before he started rocking his hips into hers.

                The night seemed hot and endless as Baekhyun whispered against her skin and lips how much he loved her, and what he loved about her. She never remembered having such an intimate night with him in her life, not even her first time with him. She knew she was experiencing love in its most pure and rawest form, and she didn’t want it to stop.

                “I never meant to hurt you.” His voice cracked at the end of his sentence. His breathing was labored, his thrusts slightly more erratic, and Mina knew he was close too.

                “I know you didn’t,” she barely got out as he squeezed her ass with one hand while still holding her up with the other. “I know you’re not like that.”

                “I feel like it… Shit…” He bit her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry, Mina.”

                _It’s OK,_ she wanted to tell him, but instead she just whispered his name across his swollen lips when he hit her spot just right. He groaned, tightening his grip on her thighs as he quickened his face. Mina rocked her hips against his, getting the most out of the sensation until she finally came.

                “Say my name one last time,” he breathed against her neck, his lips sending tingles down her spine.

                She screamed his name so loud she was sure the neighbors heard, but she could care less. She wanted to burn everything about Baekhyun into her memory, his longing touches, the way he’d smile at her, how he’d smirk at her, all of his silly little jokes… She didn’t want to say goodbye to him.

                “You’re so good,” Baekhyun growled as he came shortly after her, filling her completely.

                It seemed to take every ounce of energy in him to help set Mina back on the ground, and afterwards they collapsed together on his carpet.

                “I love you so much,” he breathed, reconnecting his lips with hers.

                “I love you too.” She couldn’t bring herself to smile and she knew she had promised him she wouldn’t cry, but she couldn’t help it. It was so stupid to let go of him all of those years ago to only end up like this again.

                _We could’ve been together. Sehun would’ve never been hurt, and things would’ve been fine._ She started to wipe at her eyes, but Baekhyun dabbed her tears away for her.

                “Please don’t cry. I love you so much.” He wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “I promise it’s for the best of us.”

                “That’s what we agreed on _last time,_ and here we are now!” she snapped.

                “Mina baby… Please understand. I’ll come back for you. Just like this time. I promise!”

                “We found each other on _accident,_ Baekhyun.”

                “Then I’ll find you on _accident_ again.” He squeezed her tighter. “I don’t want you to get hurt by my fans, I don’t want the other members treating you poorly because of my mistake-”

                “It was _our_ mistake.”

                He sighed. “That… I just want to protect you. I can’t have anything happening to you.” He stroked her hair. “You understand that, right?”

                She nodded as she pressed her cheek against his chest and broke down. He held her the whole night, promising he’d find her again and he’d keep in touch. Mina didn’t want to sleep that night. Instead, she wanted to lay in bed with him forever and listen to his corny bed time stories, but morning came quicker than either of them wanted it to.

                “So… I’ll see you around.” Baekhyun gave her a lopsided smile as she stood by his front door the next day.

                She nodded, not wanting to say anything in case she cried again. _I promised him I wouldn’t cry._

“Don’t be sad.” He enveloped her in a warm, loving hug. “I promise I’ll call you sometimes, and we can always check in on one another from time to time… It’s not for forever, Mimi.”

                “I know… but I’m going to miss you so much.”

                “Me too.” He rubbed her back in gentle, loving strokes. “Take care of yourself, OK? And please don’t worry about me. I’ll be alright. Take care of yourself first.”

                She nodded again and stepped out of the hug. She was able to produce a small, sad smile as she fixed his hair for him and leaned in to kiss him for the last time.

                “I love you and only you, don’t forget that ever. OK?” He took hold of her hand as he kissed her back.

                “I know, and I love you too.” She squeezed his hand and left a final kiss on his cheek.

                “Call me when you get settled in.” He sent her off with one final touch, one final kiss, and one final wave goodbye.

                “I will.” She returned his wave, wishing he could walk her down to her car, but that was not feasible. She felt like everything they had worked so hard for, everything that had made them so happy, and everything that made them who they were over these past few months had been smashed to pieces.

                Wiping at her eyes as she unlocked her car door. She repeated the last words he had said to her last night before he fell asleep.

                _I promise we’ll meet again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I'm sad to end this story, it truly was fun to write and share with you all, and I really hope you all enjoyed it with all the craziness and the sad ending. But things don't always have to end on a sad note. I have one more surprise regarding this story for you all next week, so don't forget to check back in!
> 
> As always, I can't thank you all enough for your comments/kudos and any other support you've shown me. Honestly, without you guys supporting me I would've stopped posting new chapters a long time ago, so thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so glad you all liked it and even liked it enough to share with others :) So I'll see you all next week one more time for this story, and I'll have some new material coming out shortly~ See you all next story :)


	18. Epilogue

                It was another evening after one more boring yet productive day. Mina was sitting in her favorite café, having her favorite coffee, and sitting in her favorite spot. The days since she last saw Baekhyun turned into weeks, those weeks turned into months, until a full year finally passed. He remained in contact with her for as long as he could, but they stopped talking when he had to fly to America two years ago for another tour.

                _It would naturally happen like this._ She sighed as she combed her fingers through her hair while waiting for her coffee to cool. _Baekhyun always kept his promises, but I didn’t think he’d break this one. I guess he did really forget about me this time. Why did I even bother believing him?_

As she took a sip of her coffee she saw someone approaching her out of the corner of her eye, but she brushed it off as someone that wanted to take the empty table next to her. What was peculiar was the person stopped in front of her table and spoke to her.

                “Can I take a seat here?” A man asked her in a smooth, familiar voice.

                _No… That couldn’t be…_ She quickly looked up from her coffee to find a familiar pair of brown eyes gazing down at her. His hair was different, much different since it was bleached blonde, and he seemed a little bit taller.

                “… B…Baekhyun? Is that… really you?” She knew she looked like a fish out of water by the way he smiled at her, but she was so surprised.

                 Even though he looked slightly older, the laugh was the same as the man that she hadn’t seen in two years. “Mimi, is that really you?”

                “It’s… really…” She stood to her feet and engulfed him in a hug without thinking.

                “Mimi… I can’t breathe…” He gasped after several minutes. “And… my coffee!”

                “I’m so sorry!” She released him and stepped back to find some of his coffee had escaped his cup. “But it’s really you…I missed you… Oh my God…”

                “I missed you too.” He smiled as he sat his coffee down on the table. He then completely took her by surprise by leaning in and kissing her.

                “I missed that too,” he whispered when they broke away.

                “How are you-”

                “I split from the company.” His smile grew even bigger. “They let me operate on my own now. I’m a solo artist.”

                “Baekhyun, that’s so great. Wow!”

                “And you know what else that means?” He barely paused for her to answer. “I get to be with you. I mean… if you still want to do that. You’re not… already seeing someone else, are you?” Uncertainty passed through his eyes.

                “No! No, I’m not seeing anyone.” She loved the smile that returned to his face. “And… I still want to be with you, Baekhyun.”

                He laughed at her excitement. “Let’s catch up though first.” He took a seat in the chair across from hers, a bright smile lining his lips. “I want to hear everything I missed in your life since the last time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we're at the end of it all and I want to thank you all so much for reading this story and giving it your support! I've said it time and time again, but I really do appreciate it <3\. I hope you all had fun reading it and you're always welcome to leave constructive criticism. What did you or what didn't you like about the story? Do you think this is an actual happy ending? Discuss if you want. And as always, I'll see you all next story. :)


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